By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kozhikode: The election meeting of the Janakeeya Vikasana Munnani (popular development front) led by the Jamat e Islami was attacked by a group of people, reportedly of the CPI (M), at Kakkodi in Kozhikode yesterday. Jamat political secretary Hameed Vanimel and several others including policemen were injured in the attack on the meeting held in the Panchayat Community Hall. About 50 persons attacked the meeting in which hundreds of people including women and children were participating. The attackers destroyed several vehicles parked at the place. Those injured have been admitted to the Medical College Hospital in Calicut and a private hospital.
The meeting of the newly-formed alliance of the Janakeeya Vikasana Munnani led by the Jamat e Islami prior to the up-coming three tier panchayat elections began at around 3.30 pm. Hameed Vanimel inaugurated the meeting and V Salih presented the document on the proposed development plan for the Panchayat. A group of people in the hall got up when Pramod Shameer was speaking at around 5 pm. When the president of the meeting said that there was no question-answer session in the agenda of the programme, those who got up reportedly began to attack. More people came in from outside and broke chairs and mikes. A group also destroyed the vehicles parked outside the building.
A small group of police were in the place when the meeting began. More policemen came after the group left the place attacking for about 15 minutes. The organizers of the meeting have filed a complaint with the police. The police have reportedly registered case against nearly 50 persons, reportedly members of the CPI (M). The leaders including Jamat e Islami political secretary Hameed Vanimel and Solidarity district president Razaq Paleri as well as the women in the hall were brought outside with police aid by 6 pm. Ten persons are admitted in hospitals and seven vehicles were destroyed by the attackers.
Jamat e Islami and the Janakeeya Vikasana Munnani have blamed the CPI (M) for the attack. A bus of policemen had reportedly reached the place before the meeting began and it is said that the police had prior information of the attack but did not inform the organizers of the meeting.
The Popular Front of India district president KP Muhammed Ashraf condemned the CPI (M) attack on the meeting of the Janakeeya Vikasana Munnani. The attack on people and vehicles at the same time shows that the attack was pre-planned. The CPI (M) should end its fascist style, he said. The CPI (M) attack on the leaders of the Jamat e Islami is a bad mark on Kerala, opined SDPI state president Adv KP Muhammed Shareef.