UDF walkout of Assembly over political murder issue

Thiruvananthapuram: The murder of two workers belonging to CPI-M and BJP in Kannur district had its echo in the assembly Wednesday with Congress-led UDF Opposition members staging a walkout in protest against the government’s alleged tepid response to the incident.

The two party workers had been hacked to death in what is suspected to be a fallout of the rivalry between the two parties in the politically volatile Kannur district yesterday.

The UDF tried to corner both the CPI-M, the lead partner in the ruling LDF, and BJP over the murder, saying they had failed to control the activities of their cadres and statements "encouraging violence" from certain leaders of these parties also cause concern.

However, replying to a notice for an adjournment motion on the alleged breakdown of law and order situation in the state after LDF came to power, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the opposition not to generalise things by pointing out isolated incidents that took place in the state.

"There is no breakdown of law and order in the state. The government is committed to take stern action against persons responsible for violence irrespective of political party consideration," he said, adding law will take its own course.

He said police have taken necessary steps to bring the culprits to book and the situation in the area was calm now. There was a "deliberate" attempt from certain quarters to create an impression that law and order has collapsed in the state, he said.

The Chief Minister denied the opposition charge that transfer and postings of police officers violating norms have adversely affected police force morale and defended the transfer of former DGP T P Senkumar from the post. The government changed him with an objective to make the force more effective, he said.

"His transfer had only brought positive results in handling cases by the force", the Chief Minister said.

Within two days after assuming office, the LDF government had appointed IPS Officer Loknath Behra as DGP in place of Senkumar. There were criticisms from certain quarters that the transfer decision of the states top police officer was taken in hasty manner.