Even as political killings continue to be reported from across Kerala, the northern district of Kannur remains to be the stronghold for political violence.
At a time when the BJP/RSS and CPI (M), one of the main allies of the ruling LDF government, continue to play a blame-game holding each other responsible for the increasing instances of political killings, a BJP leader has come up with a solution - imposing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kannur.
BJP leader TG Mohandas on Saturday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking to impose AFSPA in the district to ensure peace.
In his letter to Rajnath Singh, Mohandas, who is the party's Intellectual Cell convenor, wrote that the largest number of political killings were reported from Kannur according to National Crime Records Bureau figures.
He added that insurgent and anti-national activities are also rampant in Kannur.
According to reports, Mohandas said that the government has failed to ensure law and order in the state and that the only solution is to entrust peacekeeping operations to military and para-military forces.
“Even terror camps were organised in the district. This apart, 11 counterfeit currency cases were registered here in the last three months. Also the top police officials have expressed their helplessness to tackle the increasing incidents of disturbance,” Mohandas added.
Mohandas told The New Indian Express that he had sent the letter in his personal capacity.
The BJP leader said that imposing AFSPA was the only solution, more so at a time when CPI (M) state secretary himself made an open call for violence.
CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had attracted much flak for his speech in Kannur a few months ago. At a meeting convened in the backdrop of death of a party worker, Kodiyeri had said that whoever attacks its members shouldn't go back as they came.
The Congress and BJP had then come down heavily on CPI (M) accusing the party leaders of inciting violence and justifying it in the name of self-defense.
On Saturday, BJP president Amit Shah constituted a five-member committee to look into the increasing instances of political violence in the state in the wake of the recent attack on BJP state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram.