In politically polarised Kannur, violence and murder are not new stories. But now, if the BJP is to be believed, a seven-year-old child may be the youngest victim of this bloody political culture.
Karthik, a Class 2 student, was attacked by a group of assailants led by his maternal uncle in Iritty village of Kannur districton Monday; the assailants reportedly banged his head against a wall and hacked him with a sword.
According to Karthik’s family, the assailants, who attacked Karthik while he was playing in front of his house, were targeting the boy’s father Rahul.
State BJP chief Kummanam Rajashekharan gave the case a twist on Tuesday, by alleging that Karthik was attacked because the assailants could not find their actual targets, his parents, who are BJP members. Kummanam also alleged that the attackers were CPI (M) activists.
CPIM terrorists attack 7 year old Karthik as they couldn't find his parents who are local BJP leaders #LeftistTerror pic.twitter.com/MbR9eUXlIG
— KummanamRajasekharan (@Kummanam) May 31, 2016
However, the Iritty police denied the BJP’s allegations. Iritty Circle Inspector V Unnikrishnan told The News Minute that it was the boy’s uncle who had attacked him.
“They had some family issues, the main accused in the case is the victim’s paternal uncle, his mother’s younger brother. The exact reason is not known but there are no political issues here,” he said.
He also added that Iritty did not have a history of political violence that could explain such an attack.
“Prima facie we could not find any politics involved it. We can’t understand why media is not checking facts,” he said.
Karthik's father maintains that the rivalry was a political one, and not due to any family-related issues. "My brother-in-law is a CPI(M) activist. He was accused in the murder of a BJP worker, and he thought I was the one who dragged his name into the case. But that was his misunderstanding. He and other CPI(M) members have tried to harass us many times. If he had come alone to attack me, that could have been considered as a family dispute. But he came with weapons and other people. Before he came to our house he had called on the phone and threatened that he would attack me. Since I was not there he attacked my son," Rahul, the boy's father told TNM.