On Wednesday (19th June), a day after an elderly man lost his life in a blast, a woman from CPI(M)’s stronghold Kannur, made shocking revelations. She claimed that bomb-making is rampant in this region and many vacant houses are acting as its hub. She also alleged that CPI(M) workers take bombs from these houses.
Additionally, the opposition parties including BJP and Congress-led UDF slammed the CPI(M) government in the state and charged it with turning bomb-making into a cottage industry. They accused the state government and the CM of inaction as well as harbouring anti-social elements.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the state assembly, admitted that there have been repeated incidents of bomb blasts in some areas of the northern district of Kannur. He, however, said that the police would conduct more vigorous investigations there and refuted the opposition’s allegations against his party and government.
Woman breaks silence after an elderly neigbour lost his life in blast while picking coconuts
Notably, the woman resides in the same neighbourhood where an elderly man lost his life in a blast near Thalassery in the Kannur district when he had gone to collect coconuts. According to police, the elderly man, Velayudhan, died on Tuesday (18th June) when he picked up and tried to open the bomb which he found on an uninhabited property in the area.
The woman stated that locals have remained silent for a long time as they fear for their lives. According to her, anyone who speaks about this faces a risk of getting their homes bombed and destroyed by these individuals.
As per reports, while the woman was making shocking revelations against CPI(M) workers, her mother was seen trying to stop her. But she asked her mother how long they could tolerate it.
The woman said, “Bomb-making is rampant here. Many vacant houses are hubs of bomb-making. The other day only some party workers took three bombs from the nearby house. The people here did not speak against it owing to fear of being attacked. Now an innocent elderly man got killed. Tomorrow it can happen to any of us. Our children used to play at all these places. Kindly allow us to lead a peaceful life. It is our right. We don’t want to get killed in an explosion.”
Showdown in Kerala assembly over recent bomb blast
On Wednesday, a major showdown took place in the Kerala assembly as the opposition launched scathing attacks on the CPI(M)-led state government and accused it of the explosion on Tuesday.
The Congress party alleged that illegal crude bomb-making units were functioning like cottage industries in CPI(M)’s stronghold of Kannur. CPI(M) is funding it and it is happening with the blessings of the chief minister.
“It’s an open secret that in the area where this incident happened, two factions who were CPI (M) supporters were at loggerheads. They were planning to attack each other, and unfortunately, the senior citizen fell victim to it. The CM is trying to whitewash the whole incident,” said VD Satheesan who is the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly.
#Kerala: In an incident in which a senior citizen lost his life in #Kannur after he accidentally tried to open a crude bomb set up in a steel container, the Opposition raised the issue in an adjournment motion.
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) June 19, 2024
Chief Minister @pinarayivijayan said it's an unfortunate incident,… pic.twitter.com/apeqkesrj6
Satheesan added that the CPI(M) is even setting up memorials for those killed during bomb-making.
CPI(M) harbouring influential criminals and their alleged involvement in bomb-making: BJP state President K Surendran
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, BJP state president K Surendran alleged that a comprehensive probe should be conducted into the recent explosion. He said that CPI(M)’s involvement in bomb-making in the Kannur region is very evident.
He asserted that the CPM district committee and area committee were well-informed about the bomb blast incident in Kannur’s Eranholi. He further alleged that the responsibility for bomb-making lies with top leaders of the party.
The recent bomb explosions in Kannur are deeply alarming. Following their election defeat, it appears the communists are resorting to violence as a diversion tactic. Before the election, a party cadre lost his life while making a bomb, and now an innocent life has been tragically…
— K Surendran (@surendranbjp) June 18, 2024
Surendran argued the CPI(M) was going through a tough time in the state after its debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He said that the inner conflicts in the party and strong displeasure (among cadres) against the leadership’s corruption are also haunting the Marxist party.
The BJP state President said, “So, we doubt whether the party leadership itself is deliberately masterminding such activities and trying to push Kannur into a tense atmosphere like in the past through violence and bomb explosions.”
He further alleged that influential criminals in Kannur are transitioning from conflict to gold trading. He accused the CPM of leveraging its influence for red brick mining, aiming to revert Kannur to a state of lawlessness.
Nonetheless, earlier in April, a CPI(M) worker was killed and two others suffered serious injuries during an explosion at a crude bomb-making unit at Panoor near Thalassery.
