By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Kochi: Clashes between the activists of the Popular Front of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party continue in Ambalappuzha in south Kerala. One more person was stabbed yesterday even as police forces were present in the area. Several houses were attacked. Vehicles and household equipments were widely destroyed. Now the total number of those stabbed has increased to five. Measures have been taken to send more police forces to the place if any emergency situation arises.
The BJP had called for a bandh yesterday after last day’s clashes. Ambalappuzha Komana Kannankaramadathil Prakashan (29) was stabbed yesterday afternoon around 3.30 pm. Prakashan is an activist of the RSS and works in a temple nearby. He was admitted to Alappuzha Medical College Hospital.
Attacks on houses began around 4.30 pm and continued for hours. Houses near the Vellanjili Masjid in the Purakkad Panchayat were attacked. Properties worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed, in addition to damaging cars and scooters. People resisted the attackers’ move to damage the Masjid.
The police had not paid much attention since the bandh was generally peaceful in the morning. None of the attackers could be caught.
The houses of three activists of the BJP were attacked on Thursday night.
Hundreds of armed police and senior police officers of many police stations of the district are camping in the area under the leadership of six DySPs. Vinson M Paul, IG, went to the place to analyse the situation.