Kannur bomb explosion: Congress, BJP say CPI(M) promoting bomb culture, CM Vijayan accuses them of politicising incident

BJP state chief K Surendran said several anti-social activities had been reported in the place where the bomb blast had happened and the Left party's leadership was well-aware of it.

Thiruvananthapuram: The death of an 86-year-old in a bomb explosion in Kannur, Kerala on Tuesday has triggered a political row with Congress and BJP pointing fingers at the CPI(M).

While Congress and BJP accused CPI(M) of promoting bomb culture in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the opposition parties of unnecessarily giving political colour to the incident.

Raveendran, aged 86, died after some explosives, stored in a steel container abandoned on the premises of a vacant house at Eranholi near Thalassery, exploded on Tuesday.

Congress, which gave an adjournment motion notice in the Assembly on the issue, alleged that illegal crude bomb making units were functioning like cottage industries in CPI(M)'s stronghold of Kannur.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that CPI(M) is funding it and it is happening with the blessings of the chief minister. He further said that they are setting up memorials for those killed during bomb making. The opposition also staged a walkout from the house.

BJP state president K Surendran alleged that a comprehensive probe should be conducted into the explosion on Tuesday. CPI(M)'s involvement in bomb making in Kannur region is very evident, he alleged.

The chief minister, in response, said that all those who were involved in crude bomb making will be held and stringent action will be taken.

In April, a CPI(M) worker was killed and two others suffered serious injuries during an explosion at a crude bomb making unit at Panoor near Thalassery. Subsequently the police carried out combing operations in the region. The crude bomb that exploded on Tuesday is suspected to have been either one that was abandoned or kept hidden.