Political enmity behind killings in Kannur: CM Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the killing of a BMS worker in Kannur was seemingly in retaliation of the murder of a CPI-M worker in the district.

CPI-M activist Dhanaraj, 38, was hacked to death by a ten-member gang of RSS workers at his home near Payyannur around 10.30 pm. on Monday. The killing of BMS worker was an act of retaliation. The police are probing both the incidents. The police could bring the situation under control by their on-time intervention, the Chief Minister said.

He was replying to an adjournment motion filed by the Opposition in the Assembly seeking discussion over the political violence in Kannur.

After a lull, two political murders within a span of few hours again shook north Kerala's politically sensitive Kannur district on Monday night.

Five suspected Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists hacked to death Communist Party of India-Marxist activist Dhanaraj, 38, at his home near here around 10.30 pm. on Monday.

A seriously injured Dhanaraj died while being shifted to hospital.

In an apparent reprisal, a few armed men hacked to death a Bharatiya Janata Party-Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh leader Ramachandran, 49, at his home around 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

A shutdown was observed in Payyannur on Tuesday in protest against the killings.