Tension eases in Palakkad as parties agree to police terms

The police here on Thursday partially succeeded in easing tension between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Youth Congress after a face-off between them over naming of an upcoming skill development centre for the differently abled.

The BJP and the Youth Congress had taken out marches, each targeting the other’s district office, amidst an escalating stand-off over naming the skill development centre after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder K.B. Hedgewar.

The police had lathicharged the Youth Congress marchers who condemned the BJP threat against Youth Congress State president Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA. Several protesters were booked by the police.

The police held talks with the BJP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership here on Thursday. The Congress leadership, however, refused to oblige the police call.

The parties in general agreed not to conduct marches to opposing party offices. The police said this could ease the tension to a great extent. The police had to erect barricades and employ a large posse to prevent direct clashes when the BJP and the Youth Congress took out marches against each other.

The CPI(M) leaders who took part in the discussions with the police said they would not agree with taking out marches to party offices. But they said they would continue their protest against naming of the skill development centre after the RSS founder.

Congress parliamentary party leader in the municipality K. Bhavadas said the police wanted them to hold talks with the BJP, and that it was not an all-party meeting as claimed by the police.

He said the BJP was continually threatening Mr. Mamkootathil. “It even threatened to finish him off. Instead of registering a case against the BJP, the police were asking us to hold talks with the BJP,” said Mr. Bhavadas, adding that there would be no talks with those calling for violence.

The police said they defused the tension by ensuring that marches would not be held to party offices and no leaders would be personally targeted.