Kannur Bomb Blasts: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition Leader Lock Horns Over Recent Explosions

Fazal Khan (52) and his son Shahidul (22), who were engaged in collecting garbage, were killed in a bomb explosion in the district.

Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan photographed in Delhi's Kerala house (Source: File Photo/Getty)

New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that the death of a father-son duo from Assam in the recent bomb blasts in north Kerala’s Kannur district was due to the bomb culture practiced by the RSS and Islamic organisation Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Congress-led opposition raised the case of recurring bomb explosions in Kannur in the Kerala assembly. Fazal Khan (52) and his son Shahidul (22), who were engaged in collecting garbage, were killed in a bomb explosion in the district.

The opposition UDF had raised the issue of the July 7 blast to corner the Chief Minister and his party CPM.

“The Congress never takes names of RSS and SDPI and always puts the blame on CPI(M). This shows the party’s interest and closeness towards fundamentalist forces,” the CM said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Congress member MLA from Mattanur assembly constituency in Kannur district, Sunny Joseph, moved an adjournment motion in the assembly and pointed out the blasts in Naduvanad, Maruthayi, Panoor, Koladi, Kudianmala, Cheruvanchery, Thillankeri, which have resulted in the death of several women and children.

Joseph said that many BJP, RSS and CPM workers had lost their lives during the bomb-making and referred to the bomb blast, in which the son of CPM leader and state committee member P. Jayarajan was injured. He said that the local police investigated the matter. Initially, it was described as a festive cracker, but later the police had to register a case against P. Jayarajan.

Vijayan in his reply said that Sunny Joseph deliberately did not mention anything about communal forces like RSS and SDPI. He blamed the Congress and said that the opposition party is trying to create a narrative that the CPM is indulging in widespread violence in Kerala.

Vijayan said the Congress MLA, in his notice, targeted the CPM and did not use a single word against hardline forces like RSS and SDPI. He said these elements were trying to disturb peace in the state and mainly were involved in the blasts.

“Seven of your party workers were also killed in accidental blasts while making bombs. Why have you failed to arrest culprits in these cases?” he asked.