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Thiruvananthapuram: The murderous past of Kannur appeared to revisit the district in northern Kerala as two more persons were murderedon Friday, one each being identified as supporter of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and of a pro-Hindu nationalist organisation.
In another incident a country bomb was hurled at a police party in Panur.
Friday's incidents are a continuation of the political violence that the district has been witnessing in recent days.
Earlier, three persons belonging to the CPM and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had been stabbed to death, and another five persons admitted to hospitals with stab wounds.
The latest round of violence has been reported from Thalassery area, where nearly half a dozen people are believed to have been murdered in political violence in the last six months.
Director general of police Ramon Srivastava said after a visit to Kannur that it was difficult for police force to prevent such killings as they were political in nature.
"It is not a riot situation that prevails here. These are planned and targeted attacks against select individuals on a political basis. It is difficult for the police to prevent murders when they take place in some remote place in the district where there is not even vehicle access," Srivastava said.
Asked about the presence of nearly 1,100 policemen to tackle the situation, Srivastava said there were indeed so many policemen, but pointed out that the area to be surveilled was also considerably large.
Opposition leader Oommen Chandy alleged that the situation in Kannur had deteriorated because the police force was not being given proper operational freedom.
"When A.K. Antony and I held the post of chief minister, there was no such incident of serial political murders," Chandy said.
Speaking to media persons in Delhi, state home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the district collector had been asked to get the rival parties to the negotiation table.
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