Post-poll violence continued unabated in Kerala as the Opposition parties Congress, Muslim League and the BJP alleged the ruling CPI(M) of targeting their cadre and vandalizing their offices. Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala, reiterated his allegation that massive fraud was committed by the CPI(M) under the postal ballot scheme. 

Two Congress Members of Parliament, K Sudhakaran and M K Raghavan, representing Kannur and Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituencies addressed media persons and furnished details of the “terror” let loose by the Marxists in the northern districts.

Sudhakaran, the firebrand leader from Malabar, pointed out that even after three days of the murder of Muslim League activist Manzoor , the police have not arrested anybody other than one of the CPI(M) activists who was nabbed by the locals and handed over to the cops.

“The investigation team to arrest the accused is led by a police officer who is an active member of the CPI(M). What kind of justice we are going to get from him? The mandate given to the investigation team is not to touch the CPI(M) activists and somehow hush-up the murder charges,” said Sudhakaran.

Meanwhile Mohsin, brother of Manzoor, told reporters that he knew all the 20 persons involved in the murder. “ All are well known faces and they are moving around freely in the district. But it is surprising that they have not been taken into custody,” said Mohsin.

Raghavan said it has become risky for non-CPI(M) party workers to function in the districts of Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode. “Those who are  working for other parties are attacked by the CPI(M). More than a dozen business premises and residences of Congress and Muslim League workers have been vandalized by the CPI(M) goons,” said Raghavan.

Though many residences and shops belonging to the supporters of BJP too were attacked and destroyed by the CPI(M), that was not mentioned by the Congress as it is customary in this part of the country not to highlight the Hindutwa outfit.

Chennithala, while addressing the media at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday said that the CPI(M)’s eagerness to execute the postal ballot system was enmeshed in fraud and irregularities. “The postal ballot system was fully managed by Kerala Government officials who are hardcore CPI(M) activists. This was done deliberately to ensure that all votes were cast in favor of the Marxist candidates. There is no information about the number of postal ballots printed and used by the Government officials,” said Chennithala. 

He said he had written to the Election Commission of India about his apprehensions in this regard. “There were many instances of postal ballot papers reaching the electorate after they had cast the votes and there were multiple casting of votes,” said Chennithala.

Geetha Rajagopal, a homemaker in Perumbavoor, said her octogenarian mother Radha cast her vote through postal ballot.