By IANS
Kannur (Kerala) : Kerala’s violence-hit Kannur remained peaceful Sunday after four days of clashes between workers of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left seven people dead.
State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has talked to top leaders of both the parties to establish peace in the region.
He started talks with the BJP Sunday. He had spoken to the CPI-M late Saturday.
“They have assured me that they will not act in any manner that will affect the peace in the district,” Balakrishnan told reporters here.
Referring to the violence in Delhi Sunday where BJP activists stoned the CPI-M headquarters to protest the attack on its workers here, Balakrishnan said it would not affect his talks with BJP leaders here.
Kannur district has been a hotbed of political violence between the CPI-M and the BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) combine.
The current bout of violence started when an RSS leader was attacked in Thalassery town Wednesday. Three people lost their lives later Wednesday in retaliation by RSS and BJP and in counter attacks by the CPI-M. While one person was killed Thursday, two others were murdered Friday.
Opposition leader Oommen Chandy, meanwhile, began an eight-hour fast in Kannur to mobilise public sentiment against violence in the district.
While starting the fast, state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala repeated his demand of deploying central government security forces in Kannur to restore normalcy.