Parties spar over attackers' allegiance

MANGALORE/ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The assault on Kerala MLA C H Kunjambu's daughter and her Muslim friend in Mangalore assumed political overtones on Sunday with reports suggesting that some those picked up by the police were Left party activists. Both the BJP and the CPM sparred over the issue with each accusing the other of playing politics.
A statement by P P Hegde, advocate for the accused, that the accused are activists of Democratic Youth Federation of India has raised the heckles of Mangalore's Left party leaders.
B Madhava, CPM district secretary, said Raju alias Rajesh, bus time keeper, mechanic Ranjith, bus driver Aravind Das, bus conductor Satish, from Kasargod, and Prakash, a localite, had anything to do with Left organisations, including DYFI. "They are either activists of Bajrang Dal or Congress," he charged at the peace committee meeting in Mangalore.
DYFI district president Muneer Katipalla said, "Each member is attached to a particular unit and we maintain their records perfectly. They are not from our group."
CITU district president K Balakrishnan said, "Aravind was not our activist." CPI district executive member B V Rajan said, "Satish is not our member. Only his father and elder brother are active CPI workers. Satish was more associated with the Bajrang Dal."
The BJP, which has been caught on the backfoot after its name was dragged into the incident, directed the ire on Kunjambu saying the CPM was trying to tarnish the BJP's image. The MLA was playing divisive politics using his daughter, party youth wing BJYM state president K Surendran alleged.
Kunjambu hit back saying he was not desperate to play politics using his daughter. The MLA said he did not expect to get justice from Karnataka police and alleged that the BJP was trying to establish that the accused belonged to the CPM.