PFI violence in Kerala ‘premeditated’, culprits won't be spared: CM Vijayan

Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said the Left Front government was equally responsible for the violence perpetrated on bandh day.

A day after Kerala witnessed large-scale violence during a bandh called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday broke his silence saying it was a premeditated and well-executed unrest and perpetrators will not go scot-free.

Police personnel take stock of the damages done to a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus after some miscreants threw stones on it, (PTI)

The opposition Congress and BJP have questioned the government’s continued silence and criticised police inaction when protestors took the state to ransom. There was strong criticism that the police remained mute spectators in several places.

Talking to newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram, the CM said the majority of the trouble makers came after covering their faces and destroyed public properties randomly and all accused will be brought before law. “In the recent past, the state never witnessed such a scale of violence. We will not spare perpetrators. Besides those directly involved we will also go after people who incited such trouble,” he said adding in many cases accused were identified.

The state had witnessed unprecedented violence on Friday as 70 government buses were damaged, bombs were hurled at several places, shops and business establishments were forcibly closed and many were hurt in stone pelting. Police said more than 500 PFI workers were arrested in connection with the violence.

Senior BJP leader and former union minister Prakash Javadekar said the Left Front government was equally responsible for the violence perpetrated on bandh day. He told reporters that raids were conducted in 15 states but only Kerala witnessed such violence as the government turned into a silent spectator.

“It was a dark day for the state. Hooligans were on a rampage and they took the state to ransom and government machinery was nowhere to be seen. How can the government turn a blind eye to such lawlessness,” he said, adding that the government was scared to take action fearing a dent over its vote bank.

He said the ruling CPI(M) and PFI were hand-in gloves that resulted in large-scale violence. “If the government would have taken strong action such incidents should have been averted. PFI activists also bombed the RSS office in Kannur. Such acts will never occur without the tacit support of the ruling dispensation,” he said.

State opposition leader VD Satheesan also criticised the silence of the CM. “The government was missing in action as the state was witnessing widespread violence. The CM’s silence is really intriguing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the high court has asked the state government how it plans to recover huge losses suffered during the shutdown and asked it to submit a detailed report by October 17. The court said action should be strict and without any delay.

The court had registered a contempt case against the PFI and its office-bearers on Friday for flouting its earlier directive banning flash shutdowns. On the bandh day, masked men went on a rampage in different parts of the state stoning government buses, attacked policemen, vandalised many shops and threw petrol bombs at the RSS office.