Violence continued to be reported from the northern districts of Kerala, which turned into a strife zone over the entry of women of child-bearing age into Sabarimala temple. Protesters hurled crude bombs at the houses of a CPI(M) MLA and a BJP MP.
A large posse of police has been camping at Thalassery in Kannur. Crude bombs was hurled at a CPI(M) leader's house at Perambra in Kozhikode on Saturday, while another party worker was hacked at Iritty in Kannur.
The house of CPI(M) MLA A.N. Shamseer was attacked on Friday night. A country-made bomb was hurled at the house at Madappeedika near Thalassery by unidentified people. Shamseer alleged that RSS men were behind the attack and top leaders of the outfit were part of the conspiracy. Nobody was injured in the attack, but a water tank and some flower pots were damaged. Shamseer, who represents Thalassery assembly constituency, was not at home when the incident took place. He said he was attending a peace meet, involving leaders of the CPI(M) and the RSS when the incident happened.
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Soon after, bombs were hurled at the ancestral house of BJP Rajya Sabha MP V. Muraleedharan at Vadiyil Peedika in Kannur.
As many as 1,369 people have so far been arrested and 801 cases registered in connection with violent protests that were witnessed during the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by right-wing outfits on Thursday. At least 717 people are now in preventive custody.
Crude bombs were hurled at the house of Malabar Devaswom Board member, K. Sasikumar, at Perambra in Kozhikode in the early hours of Friday, the police said.
Similar explosives were hurled at a mobile shop in Adoor in Pathanamthitta.
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Four incidents, in which crude bombs were used, were reported in Kannur, a politically volatile district that has been witness to frequent clashes between CPI(M) and BJP workers, and at least 200 people had been arrested, the police said, adding no one were injured in the incidents.
Houses of BJP and CPI(M) activists were attacked and pelted with stones in Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.
The hartal called by Sabarimala Karma Samithi to protest the entry of two women of child-bearing age into the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Thursday had virtually brought the state to its knees.
Hurling crude bombs and stones, members of fringe groups rampaged through the streets of the state, fighting pitched battles with police and political rivals, leaving scores of people injured.
Protest demonstrations by the BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samiti had turned violent at several places in Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Police had used batons and water cannons to break up the protests.
