Express news service
Posted online: Monday, March 10, 2008 at 2359 hrs IST
NEW DELHI, MARCH 9
In a violent fallout to clashes between cadres of the CPM and Sangh in Kerala, RSS-BJP activists today targeted the CPM headquarters in New Delhi, leading to clashes and stone pelting which left at least 10 CPM members, 12 from the RSS and eight policemen injured. The Rapid Action Force had to be called in and police had to use teargas to scatter the crowds.
Fifteen people, including six BJP councillors and two former MLAs, were later arrested and charged with rioting, obstructing a public servant on duty and holding a demonstration without prior permission.
Trouble began this morning when over Sangh activists marched up to A K Gopalan Bhawan — the CPM headquarters in Gole Market — where a meeting of the party central committee was on. “At around 11 am, when we took a break for tea, we realised that a few RSS protestors were forcing their way into our office. The police were unable to stop them. When we tried to reason with them, they started pelting stones,” said Hari Singh Kang, a CPM central committee member who was among the injured.
The BJP and RSS members, on the other hand, claimed they were leading a peaceful protest over seven deaths in Kannur in Kerala. They alleged that the CPM began the stone-pelting.
“We were in a peaceful protest and before we knew it, Left party members were pelting stones at us from the first floor of their office. I tried to stop our party workers from retaliating when a big stone hit me in the head,” said Moolchand Chawla of the BJP. “They provoked us into retaliating but we remained peaceful,” he said.
The AKG Bhawan became a battleground as stones flew in all directions. Window panes of the building were shattered and cars parked outside were damaged, among them those of CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
Karat condemned the attack. “RSS members came to demonstrate yesterday as well but they were stopped by the police at Pandit Pant Marg. Despite informing the police about the situation, there were only two officers stationed here in the morning. Everyone knows that the BJP and the CPM have a number of political differences but it is highly condemnable that they should resort to such violence,” he said.
He said that known BJP and RSS leaders led the protest and that the CPM had mentioned their names in the FIRs — the party has accused Delhi Opposition leader Jagdish Mukhi and Mayor Aarti Mehra of leading the attack.
“There is a problem in Kerala and it’s not new. Four of our members were murdered by the RSS but we did not retaliate with violence,” Karat said, adding there was no justification for this “premeditated attack”. “We will be asking other parties to condemn this action and many have already come forward to our support. Public opinion will definitely be against the BJP.”
Meanwhile, the RSS said the CPM should not expect it to take the violence “lying down” and the BJP youth wing has called for a nationwide protest on Monday. The BJP said it would raise the matter in Parliament.
“Our workers were attacked and around 15 activists were injured when stones were pelted on them from inside the Marxist party office,” said BJP leader V K Malhotra. “We condemn the murder culture of the CPM. They have done it in Nandigram and have been doing it for several years in Kerala,” he said.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav spoke on similar lines. “When our members were peacefully demonstrating outside the Marxist party office, Marxist elements displayed their fascist violent attitude like in Nandigram and Kannur,” he said.
Madhav said that in the last five days “Marxist goonda elements” have been resorting to “barbarous violence” in Kannur, killing five BJP-RSS activists and seriously injuring dozens of workers.
“The RSS cannot be cowed down by violence. We will take it head-on. We only want to ask the Kerala government to take immediate steps to restore peace. Don’t expect us to take it lying down,” he said.
BOX: They knew, says VS, points finger at BJP leaders
KOCHI: Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said it was no coincidence that the CPM office in Delhi was stoned the day after BJP vice-president Venkaiah Naidu declared his party’s intentions in Kochi. On Saturday, Naidu had said it would look “very pathetic” if the BJP decided to do in its strongholds what the CPM was doing to the BJP-RSS in Kannur. The CM alleged that the BJP national leadership was in full know of the “attack” plans.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/282357.html
Kerala clashes come to Delhi
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Several activists of the RSS and CPI(M) were injured on Sunday in a clash between them near Gole Market in the Capital in the wake of a flare-up in violence involving the two in Kerala. The clashes began when CPI(M) activists, who were in Left party's headquarters, reportedly threw stones from the terrace at the RSS workers who were demonstrating peacefully outside. "Fifteen workers were injured in the clash," the police said.
Around 20 persons, including eight policemen were reportedly injured in the violence that lasted for over a couple of hours.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP leaders on Sunday came down heavily on the Left parties, demanding the imposition of President's rule in Kerala and sealing of CPI(M) headquarters located in the Capital.
Later, addressing a Press conference, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Delhi BJP president Harshvardhan and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi blamed the Left parties and the Congress for misleading the facts about the clashes that erupted outside AK Gopalan Bhawan near Gole Market, when some workers of the BJP, RSS and Hindu Manch who were protesting peacefully, faced stones pelted by CPI(M) workers from the terrace of the building.
Vardhan said that the BJP workers were peacefully protesting at the CPI(M) headquarters against the atrocities perpetrated by the CPI(M) cadre on RSS members in Kerala. Under directions from CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat, stones and chairs were thrown at them. "Twelve of our workers were injured, including women. They have been admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. And the cars of leaders like Poonam Azad were damaged. Dozens of our activists have been hospitalised after the attack," he said.
Blaming the Government and the police for remaining indifferent, Malhotra said that they had to wait for three to four hours before an FIR was registered against Karat and Yechury. He said, "The Congress is trying to protect them as it is dependent on the support of the CPI(M)." He also claimed that "the attack on BJP workers shows that Kerala is being
repeated in Delhi." Malhotra said, "the BJP will take up the matter in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha."
Vardhan said, "In the past three days, five of our party workers have been killed, the bodies of three of them mutilated and about 30 houses of our workers gutted in Kerala. In the State, the CPI(M) Government is resorting to State-sponsored terrorism." The BJP claimed that such atrocities were being perpetrated at the behest of Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and CPI(M) State unit chief Pinarayi Vijayan. The BJP has demanded their arrest under the National Security Act.
Jagdish Mukhi accused that "the Congress is trying to appease the CPI(M) by falsely implicating BJP workers." He added that "the misuse of police by the Government to harass its opponents is condemned". Mukhi also denied allegations made by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that he was using official car during the protest.
An array of senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and AICC spokesperson Veerappa Moily visited the CPI (M) headquarters.
After the attack, the police registered a case against 15 RSS activists, including BJP MLA and Jagdish Mukhi and Mayor Arti Mehra.
Police said that there were more than 50 protestors who pelted stones, smashed cars and damaged the central office of the CPI(M).
"We have arrested 14 workers of the BJP for rioting and damaging public property. They were demonstrating without intimating us," said a senior police officer. The BJP also filed a police complaint claiming that CPI(M) workers indulged in violence to disrupt their peaceful demonstration.
Meanwhile, a PTI report from Kannur said a group of CPI(M) activists on Sunday vandalised the BJP office near Azhikode as part of their protest against the clashes at the Left party's headquarters in New Delhi, triggering fresh spell of tension in the trouble-torn district.
A group of about 50 CPI(M) workers led by local party committee leaders came to the spot shouting anti-BJP slogans and barged into the building and vandalised the office, the BJP alleged. Police said CPI(M) workers set on fire the office furniture, TV and records.
The incident occurred after Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan held peace talks with CPI(M) and BJP-RSS leadership to find a solution to a series of attacks on rival party workers in which seven people had lost their lives in a span of four days.
The CPI(M) leaders, who had held talks with the Minister, told mediapersons that the party had asked the cadre to exercise restraint.
http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story1%2Etxt&counter_img=1
March 09, 2008
Chengara and Deshabhimani's turn as Manhappathram
It was not long ago that one prominent CPM leader in Kerala, himself the general manager of the party's Malayalam newspaper Deshabhimani, called Mathrubhumi a yellow journal (Manhappathram).
Now it is Deshabhimani's turn to do some real yellow journalism. After Kairali and People TV channels (they claim not to be party channels, and let us buy that) spied on some men and women late night at a vigil extending support to Chengara land struggle and aired some hot clippings that featured some of my friends, Deshabhimani today carries on its front page scenes from those clippings.
The news piece also claims that it was found that those who came for the struggle are Naxal, Maoist activists feigning themselves as human rights activists.
CPM knows that it may not be too long before Chengara becomes another Nandigram so this could be just a frustrationary measure. If they really think they have won some points with this one, I can only wish them get well soon.
[The news is available on their web edition right now here].
Below is a trailer of a video on Chengara struggle, for those who did not know about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8hu9KQBvNc&eurl Land rights, Chengara struggle, Kerala.
http://sudeepsdiary.blogspot.com/2008/03/chengara-and-deshabhimanis-turn-as.html
Kannur: BJP for Centre’s intervention
Staff Reporter (The Hindu, 9 March 2008)
Says violence State-sponsored
________________________________________
BJP parliamentary team to visit violence-hit Kannur
L.K. Advani has talked to Union Home Minister
________________________________________
KOCHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Venkaiah Naidu has urged the Union government to deploy Central forces in the violence-ridden Kannur district.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani had spoken to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and sought the Centre’s intervention.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu alleged that Kannur was witnessing State-sponsored terrorism. The local police were silent spectators to the hooliganism. He said the State Home Minister should have rushed to the trouble-torn areas to curb the barbarian killings.
“The CPI(M) in Kerala seems to be in the habit of resorting to brutal killings of political opponents. If the BJP adopts similar tactics in BJP-ruled States, what will be the fate of Marxists,” he asked. A (BJP) parliamentary delegation would be sent to Kannur to study the situation, he said.
Asked whether there was a possibility for sending Central forces to Kannur, he replied that “they (the Centre and the State government) are hand in glove.” To another question on BJP’s role in the violence in Kannur, he said it was for the State government to take action against all offenders.
Indo-U.S. nuclear deal
Referring to the controversy over the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, he said the Congress and the Prime Minister had miserably failed in handling the issue. He reiterated that the nuclear deal in its present form was not acceptable to the BJP. The party was opposing the deal as it was against the sovereignty of the country. “We are not anti-America. Better ties do not mean surrendering our sovereignty,” he said.
Pointing out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had opposed nuclear tests on the floor of Parliament, the BJP leader wondered how could he champion the cause of it now. He alleged that the Congress and the CPI(M) were playing hide and seek over the deal.
On the issue of price rise, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said the prices of all commodities were increasing. He alleged that the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre was insensitive to the suffering of the people.
On the farm loan waiver scheme announced by the Union government, he said it was a half-hearted move. It was not clear as to how to raise the revenue for the scheme. The present government may not be there after a few months. “You make promises and are we (the next government) to take care of it,” he asked. Out of the nine States that went to the polls of late, the Congress had lost all except one.
BJP State president P.K. Krishna Das, general secretary A.N. Radhakrishnan, former president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai and Ernakulam district president Nedumbassery Ravi were among those present.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/09/stories/2008030953560400.htm
UDF blames CPI(M) leadership for attacks in Kannur
Kannur, March 09: The CPI(M) on Sunday came under sharp attack for adopting an `indifferent` approach to contain attacks involving the ruling party and RSS-BJP workers,leading to the murder of seven people in three days in Kannur, as the opposition United Democratic Front began its day-long fast, seeking restoration of normalcy in the trouble torn district.
KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, who inaugurated the fast, led by Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy here, alleged that Kerala, especially Kannur, had been witnessing political murders and violence whenever the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front ruled the state.
"During the CPI(M) led LDF rule, police found it virtually impossible to discharge its responsibilities in a free and fair manner, leading to chaos and mistrust among people in the rule of law and administration," Chennithala said at the function, attended by senior UDF leaders.
Had the police been allowed to function freely,the attacks could not have taken place, with people in the affected areas being forced to lead a life full of tension during the past few days, he pointed out.
Assailing Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,who was away in Delhi to attend a party meet, he said the Minister reached the district only four days after the attacks, which killed seven people.
Many persons were injured in the fresh spell of violence that began on March 5, he said.
Bureau Report
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=429218&archisec=REG
PRESS RELEASE (BJP) 8 March 2008
Shri L K Advani leader of the opposition, Lok Sabha has sought immediate intervention by the centre to put an end to the unabated violence unleashed by CPM storm troopers against the BJP / RSS workers in Kerala. Shri Advani has taken up the issue with the Union Home Minister, Shri. Shivraj Patil. Responding to Mr. Advani's plea, Shri Patil has assured him that the centre has taken cognizance of this mindless violence and would take steps to restore normalcy in the violence torn districts of Kerala.
Five BJP /RSS workers have been hacked to death by the CPM goons since the afternoon of March 5, 2008. Shri M P Sumesh a respected RSS worker was attacked when he emerged out of a hotel in Tellicherry town after having lunch. He has suffered multiple injuries on his legs, hands, face and head. He is in the Intensive Care Unit of Medical college Hospital, Calicut. The following day two more workers Shri Nikhil, a lorry cleaner, and Shri Satyan, a construction worker were killed in separate incidents. Shri Nikhil was pulled out off his lorry and killed on the spot. Shri Satyan was abducted from his work site and later his dead body was found with his head severed on a few kilometers away. It appears that CPM has trained its killer squads to kill political opponents in the most barbarous manner so that those differing from CPI(M) are terrified.
In two separate incidents two more workers, Shri Vinayan and Shri Ranjit were attacked and are admitted in Medical College Hospital, Calicut.
There has been a number of incidents of CPI(M) violence during the last couple of months.
• 3rd Nov., 2007 – Sherin was attacked at Tellicherry. Suffered grievous injuries on his hands and legs.
• 4th Nov. 2007 – Biju and Jithu were attacked at Tellicherry. Biju has become partially invalid as his legs have become immobile. Due to the injury on his head he is still in hospital. His three fingures of the hand and one of the leg was cut off.
• 5th Nov. 2007 – Shaji, a three wheeler driver was attacked. He has lost his capacity to speak.
• 15th Dec 2007 – Lajeesh, a Mandal Karyvah was attacked and injured in Tellicherry
• 15th Feb 2008 – Ramesh Babu was attacked in Tellicherry. He has injuries on his neck.
• 29th Feb 2008 – Shijith and Satish were attacked in Tellicherry
Such violent incidents have taken place in some other parts of the state as well. 14th Feb 2008 – The house of Shri Sivan, in Alleppey was set fire at midnight with the aim of burning the entire family alive.
28th Feb 2008 – Shri Sanoop, ABVP worker and College Union Chairman of SriKrishna College, Guruvayur was attacked in the college when he was attending the examination. He lost his eye in the attack. Incidentally, this is a college where the SFI doesn't allow any body else to file nomination. This year only one candidate filed the nomination and he was elected!
It needs to be mentioned that Tellicherry has a history of four decades of CPI(M) attacks on BJS-BJP-RSS workers and around fifty five BJP-RSS workers have lost their lives during this period. Further, this is the place where Sri Jayakrishnan, the state vice president of BJYM and a primary school teacher was brutally murdered by CPI(M) goons in the class room in full view of his students.
Tellicherry is the home tome of Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, the state secretary of CPI(M) and Shri Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI(M) leader and present home Minister of Kerala. Incidentally both of them were accused earlier in murders of BJP RSS workers.
The BJP reiterates its resolve to stand up to this politics of violence. The BJP has asked its cadres to remain peaceful in spite of grave pionrovocats.
http://bjp.org/Press/mar_2008/mar_0808_p.htm
Hindu Mahasabha and CPI (M) activists clash; several injured
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, March 09, 2008
First Published: 15:38 IST(9/3/2008)
Last Updated: 16:39 IST(9/3/2008)
Several activists were on Sunday injured in a clash between a right wing Hindu outfit and CPI(M) at the Left party's headquarters here in the wake of a flare up in the violence involving the two sides in Kerala's Kannur district.
Hindu Mahasabha activists clashed with CPI(M) workers and started pelting stones at the party office where a Central Committee meeting of the Left party was going on, police sources said.
CPI(M) workers retaliated and in the ensuing clash activists of both sides were injured. Among the CPI(M) activists injured are four central committee members, Joginder Sharma, Hari Singh Kang, Pushpender Grewal and Sriniwas Rao.
Rapid Action Force was immediately deployed in the area to contain the situation after police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the activists.
Windows of the AKG Bhawan in Gole Market in central Delhi were broken and ground floor of the building which houses the office of the party organ People's Democracy suffered extensive damage.
Window panes of a number of cars including that of CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and Politburo member Sitaram Yechury were broken during the violence. The party suspended its Central Committee meeting and was holding an urgent poiltburo meeting to discuss the situation.
CPI(M) has lodged an FIR with Delhi police which has named Delhi Assembly opposition leader Jagdish Mukhi and Delhi mayor Aarti Mehra among others. While CPI(M) claimed that about 16 of their activists were injured, RSS said 12 of their workers were hurt.
Senior police officials said 14 people were detained in connection with the incident. Reacting to the attack on the CPI(M) headquarters, party Politburo member Sitaram Yechury alleged, "the RSS was trying to spread the culture of terror in the national capital as they were doing in Kerala".
"They (Hindu Mahasabha activists) were protesting here against what has happened in Kerala but the fact is that we have lost the largest number of caders in the attacks by the RSS" in the southern state, Yechrury told reporters here.
Blaming the police for "not taking necessary steps to avoid the incident", he alleged, "everyone including police knew that there will be a protest march on Sunday but adequate arrangements were not made".
Lashing out at the RSS, he said "they are the people who had stooped to the level of assassinating the Mahatma. What else can you expect from them. This is the fascist character."
In his reaction, CPI MP D Raja said violence and intolerance can't be allowed in a democracy and accused the BJP leadership of settling scores in a violent way. Raja said the BJP leadership should take responsibility for the violence in Delhi and all democratic forces should condemn that strongly.
BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha VK Malhotra said his party will raise the issue of political violence in Kerala's Kannur district in Parliament on Monday. "We condemn the murder culture of the CPI(M). They have done it in Nandigram and have been doing it for several years in Kerala," he said.
Malhotra claimed that BJP and RSS workers, demonstrating outside CPI(M) headquarters, were attacked and around 15 activists were injured when stones were pelted on them from inside the Marxist party's office.
Members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) had on Saturday staged a demonstration in front of the CPI(M) headquarters during which police used water canons to disperse the agitating crowd. The Kannur district of Kerala is witnessing clashes between the CPI-M and BJP-RSS workers and seven lives have been lost since Wednesday.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=1d7258c5-754e-4656-9713-9400267ef337&&Headline=Many+hurt+in+Mahasabha-CPI(M)+clash
RSS-BJP activists attack CPI(M) office, two sides clash
New Delhi (PTI): Clashes between CPI(M) and Sangh Parivar outfits in faraway Kerala on Sunday had violent fall-out here when RSS-BJP activists attacked the marxist party central headquarters triggering a battle between the rival sides that left 15 people including five senior CPI(M) leaders injured.
In the presence of BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi, the saffron activists pelted stones at A K Gopalan Bhavan, the CPI(M) central office, on Bhai Vir Singh Marg near Gole Market in the heart of Delhi when a Central Committee meeting of the Left party was on, police sources said.
CPI(M) workers retaliated and in the clash that erupted activists of both sides were injured. Among the CPI(M) activists injured are five central committee members two of whom Joginder Sharma and Hari Singh Kang were hospitalised.
Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the warring activists.
Windows of the CPI(M) office were broken and the ground floor of the multi-storeyed building which houses the office of the party organ "People's Democracy" suffered extensive damage.
Window panes of a number of cars, including that of CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, were smashed during the violence.
The party suspended its Central Committee meeting and held an urgent Polit Bureau meeting to discuss the situation arising out of the attack by the saffron workers.
Fifteen people were arrested in connection with the violence, police sources said.
The CPI(M) has lodged an FIR with Delhi police accusing Mukhi and Delhi mayor Aarti Mehra among others of being responsibile for the attack on its office.
While the CPI(M) claimed that about 16 of their activists were injured, the RSS said 20 of their workers were hurt.
The Rapid Action Force was deployed after the clashes.
Reacting to the attack on the CPI(M) headquarters, party Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury alleged "the RSS was trying to spread the culture of terror in the national capital as they were doing in Kerala".
He alleged the police did not make adequate security despite knowing that there would be protests on Sunday.
An array of senior Congress leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and AICC spokesperson Veerappa Moily visited the CPI(M) headquarters and condemned the attack on it.
The BJP said it will raise the political violence in Kerala's Kannur district, where CPI(M) and RSS-BJP activists had been battling against each other for the last three days, in Parliament on Monday even as the RSS warned it will not tolerate attacks on its workers and will take the marxist party head-on.
RSS leader Ram Madhav alleged that in the last five days "Marxist goonda elements" resorted to violence in Kannur killing five BJP-RSS activists and seriously injuring dozens of workers.
"When our members were peacefully demonstrating outside the Marxist party office, Marxist elements displayed their fascist attitude like in Nandigram and Kannur," he said.
Madhav claimed around 20 people were injured in the attack which further shows Marxist party's scant respect for democracy.
"The RSS cannot be cowed down by violence. We will take it head-on. We only want to ask Kerala government to take immediate steps to restore peace and don't expect us to take it lying," Madhav said.
Karat said UNPA leaders, who are meeting in Jaipur, rang him up and condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the CPI(M).
CPI Secretary D Raja, who is in Bhubaneswar, spoke to Karat and Yechury on the phone and condemned the incident.
Among the other leaders who condemned the incident were TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad and Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ramvilas Paswan.
Accusing the attackers of having a "fascist" mentality, Paswan demanded a high-level inquiry as the attack was "pre-planned and happened in the heart of the capital".
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/000200803091969.htm
CPI-M headquarters attacked; BJP, RSS workers arrested
Sun, Mar 9 07:27 PM
New Delhi/Kannur, March 9 (IANS) The turf war between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala reached the national capital Sunday as a 250-strong mob attacked the CPI-M headquarters in New Delhi, injuring 10 Left activists and eight policemen.
The attack took place Sunday around 11 a.m. when top CPI-M leaders, including party general secretary Prakash Karat and politburo member Sitaram Yechuri, were huddled in the party's Central Committee meeting at the party headquarters, A.K. Gopalan Bhawan, on the Bhai Mahaveer Singh Marg in the heart of the capital.
Yechuri blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists for the attack and said: 'What else do you expect from people who did not leave even Mahatama Gandhi? They have simply revealed their fascist's face.'
Maintaining that the attack was unprovoked, Yechuri denied it was in retaliation of any attacks by Left party workers against BJP and RSS workers in Kunnur and elsewhere in Kerala.
'In fact, it's RSS workers who are indulging in violence there,' he said.
Karat added that four Left party workers were killed in political clashes in Kerala last week.
'Those killed included two party workers of Palaghat and now seven other have been killed by them in Kunnur,' he said.
Terming the attack as 'pre-meditated', Karat said: 'There are no stones available in the areas. They all were brought here as per a pre-meditated plan.'
Alluding to the presence of Delhi unit chief Harsh Vardhan and Delhi assembly Leader of Opposition Jagdish Mukhi among the demonstrators, Karat said, 'The attack was led by known leaders of the BJP and the RSS.'
Condemning the attack, Karat said physical violence has no place in a democratic set-up.
'Irrespective of our political opinion, you cannot physically resort to violence,' said Karat. 'All other political parties have conveyed their condemnation of the act and have sided with us on this issue.'
He also called for an all-party meet on the issue in Kerala.
The Congress condemned the attack, terming it 'a sordid act of hooliganism'.
Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni condemned the attack, and Congress spokesperson M. Veerappa Moily, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and senior party leaders including B.K. Hariprasad, and Kishor Chandra Deo visited the CPI-M office.
'The attack is condemnable. It shows how the communal forces attack. There are democratic ways to oppose anything,' Soni told reporters outside the A.K. Gopalan Bhawan.
Terming the incident as a fascist attack, Moliy said: 'It was a sordid act of hooliganism, and must be condemned. It was shocking. The attackers were killers of Mahatma Gandhi. They came well prepared. The law must take its own course in this regard.'
However, BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra and RSS spokesman Ram Madhav accused CPI-M workers of throwing stones from inside the party office at what they said was a peaceful demonstration by their party workers and provoking them to retaliate.
Ram Madhav said 'Marxist goonda elements' had again resorted to barbarous violence in Kannur in the last five days, killing five BJP-RSS activists and seriously injuring dozens of workers.
'When our members were peacefully demonstrating outside the Marxist party office, Marxist elements displayed their fascist violent attitude like in Nandigram and Kannur,' he said.
The police arrested 15 workers of the BJP and the RSS, and lodging a criminal case named some senior BJP leaders, including Harsh Vardhan, for the incident.
Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said more people, including some senior BJP leaders, could be arrested.
The police spokesman said a mob of around 250 BJP and RSS workers descended on the CPI-M office and began throwing stones at the building.
The rampaging mob also damaged four cars, including those of Karat and Yechuri, parked outside the building, he said.
Some people participating in a demonstration by the Hindu Mahasabha nearby also joined the mob, said Bhagat, adding that the Rapid Action Force was also deployed and the situation was prevented from turning worse.
The police had to burst several rounds of teargas shells and deployed water cannons to contain the mob, said the police spokesman.
Meanwhile, security was tightened Sunday at party offices across Kerala while Marxist activists staged marches in several places protesting against the violence.
Kerala Director General of Police Raman Srivastava ordered deployment of police force at the offices of the CPI-M, BJP and RSS across the state.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiaabroad/20080309/r_t_ians_nl_politics/tnl-cpi-m-headquarters-attacked-bjp-rss-a4b7bec_1.html
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