Oppn stages walkout over violence in Kannur

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress-led UDF Opposition Wednesday staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly in protest against the denial of an adjournment motion seeking discussion on political violence and murders in Kannur, the home district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Seeking the leave of the House to move the adjournment motion in this regard, KC Joseph of Congress alleged that the political parties ruling the state and centre were fighting with each other affecting the law and order in the district.

Alleging that the CPM and RSS, BJP leaders were instigating their workers to fight each other for political mileage, Joseph said and urged the Chief Minister to call for an all-party meeting to end the political rivalry. In his reply, the chief minister said RSS was spreading violence in the district and efforts were on at the district level to create a consensus among political parties to end the violence.

He also agreed to call an all-party meeting at the State level as suggested by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. Claiming that there was no law and order problem in the State, he said Governor Justice (Retd) P Sathasivam never expressed his anxiety over the violence or law and order issues in the State.

Countering the Chief Minister's claim, Ramesh Chennithala said for the first time in the history of Kerala, the Governor called a personnel meeting of the DGP and Home Secretary to get a detailed report of the political violence in the State.

The Chief Minister alleged that there is a propaganda to project Kannur as a place of violence. According to the statistics available with the state, Kannur stands at the fifth position in terms of violence and murders in the State.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that as many as seven murders took place in Kannur after the LDF came to power in the State. The incidents of violence increases whenever LDF comes to power. If this trend continues, the State will fall into an uncontrollable situation, he warned.

Welcoming the Chief Minister's effort to call an all party meeting to end the violence, BJP leader O Rajagopal alleged that the CPI (M) was hiring criminals for political murders.

The Chief Minister said all the political parties should come forward with an open mind to bring permanent peace in the State. Following this, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan denied permission to the Opposition to move the adjournment motion. In protest against the Chair's stand, the entire Opposition members staged a walkout

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