The Kerala assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated discussion on recurring bomb explosions in north Kerala’s Kannur district after the Congress-led opposition raised the issue of the accidental blast that claimed lives of two Assamese workers on July 7.
Bombs were also hurled at the office of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Payyanur on Tuesday. Raising the issue through an adjournment motion, Congress member Sunny Joseph said in party villages bomb-making was a cottage industry and leaders of the ruling CPI(M) and RSS shield the accused and police had also failed to take effective measures to contain the “bomb culture”.
Besides rival party workers many innocent people also turn victims in accidental blasts, he said.
Last week, two migrant workers from Assam, a man and his son, were killed due to a bomb explosion in the district. Both, Fazal Khan (52) and his son Shahidul (22), were working as waste collectors in Mattanur area. A senior police officer later said the bomb went off in their rented house when they were segregating the waste collected from the area. Their rented house suffered serious damage due to the impact of the explosion.
Joseph said bombs were hurled at a house which was 150 metres away from chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s house in Pinarayi village in April but police failed to arrest the accused. He said many RSS and CPI(M) workers were killed or maimed due to accidental blasts during the manufacturing of country-made bombs. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said in 80% of these accidental blast cases, police could not make any lead.
{{/usCountry}}Joseph said bombs were hurled at a house which was 150 metres away from chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s house in Pinarayi village in April but police failed to arrest the accused. He said many RSS and CPI(M) workers were killed or maimed due to accidental blasts during the manufacturing of country-made bombs. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said in 80% of these accidental blast cases, police could not make any lead.
{{/usCountry}}Replying to the motion, Vijayan said opposition was bankrupt with ideas so they raise issues which give a narrative that the CPI(M) was behind these incidents. He said RSS and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), political wing of the Popular Front of India, were behind most of the incidents. “The Congress never takes names of RSS and SDPI and always puts the blame on CPI(M). This shows the party’s interest and closeness towards fundamentalist forces,” said the CM.
At this point the opposition leader asked why a single RSS worker was not arrested in a case related to bomb blast near the venue of CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan a couple of years ago. “Seven of your party workers were also killed in accidental blasts while making bombs. Why did you fail to arrest culprits in these cases?” he asked. But the CM reiterated that opposition was blind with anti-Communist outlook.
In last two years, 40 crude bombs were recovered and 10 explosions have taken place in the district, police records show.