<p>Kannur’s history of political violence was back in focus on Tuesday amid a familiar blame-game after the killing of a CPM leader in neighbouring Mahe — which comes under the Union Territory of Puducherry.</p>.<p>This was followed by the murder of an RSS activist in Kannur in a suspected retaliatory attack.</p>.<p>Babu Kannipoyil (45), a CPM Pallur local committee member and former Mahe municipal councillor, was hacked to death by a gang of eight men around 9.15 pm on Monday.</p>.<p>About an hour later, Shamej Parambath, a local RSS activist and autorickshaw driver, was killed by armed assailants in New Mahe, in Kannur.</p>.<p>The killings left the region tense on Tuesday, with both the CPM and BJP-RSS calling for a dawn-to-dusk 'hartal' in Mahe and Kannur.</p>.<p>Police said Babu was attacked near the Koyyodan Koroth Temple in Pallur.</p>.<p>The CPM leader who sustained serious neck injuries died while he was being shifted to a hospital in Thalassery.</p>.<p>Shamej was returning home in his autorickshaw when a gang of armed men intercepted and attacked him.</p>.<p>He died while being shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.</p>.<p>Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said the police was coordinating with authorities in Puducherry on the investigation.</p>.<p>As Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured a comprehensive probe into the killings, the ruling CPM leadership maintained Babu’s murder proved that the Sangh Parivar was not willing to end violence in the region.</p>.<p>CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the party leader’s killing was part of the RSS’ conspiracy to disrupt peace in Kannur.</p>.<p>BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said the onus for maintaining law and order in the region was on the state police.</p>.<p>The Opposition Congress also stepped up its attack against what it called a failure of the home department under the Chief Minister.</p>
<p>Kannur’s history of political violence was back in focus on Tuesday amid a familiar blame-game after the killing of a CPM leader in neighbouring Mahe — which comes under the Union Territory of Puducherry.</p>.<p>This was followed by the murder of an RSS activist in Kannur in a suspected retaliatory attack.</p>.<p>Babu Kannipoyil (45), a CPM Pallur local committee member and former Mahe municipal councillor, was hacked to death by a gang of eight men around 9.15 pm on Monday.</p>.<p>About an hour later, Shamej Parambath, a local RSS activist and autorickshaw driver, was killed by armed assailants in New Mahe, in Kannur.</p>.<p>The killings left the region tense on Tuesday, with both the CPM and BJP-RSS calling for a dawn-to-dusk 'hartal' in Mahe and Kannur.</p>.<p>Police said Babu was attacked near the Koyyodan Koroth Temple in Pallur.</p>.<p>The CPM leader who sustained serious neck injuries died while he was being shifted to a hospital in Thalassery.</p>.<p>Shamej was returning home in his autorickshaw when a gang of armed men intercepted and attacked him.</p>.<p>He died while being shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.</p>.<p>Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said the police was coordinating with authorities in Puducherry on the investigation.</p>.<p>As Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured a comprehensive probe into the killings, the ruling CPM leadership maintained Babu’s murder proved that the Sangh Parivar was not willing to end violence in the region.</p>.<p>CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the party leader’s killing was part of the RSS’ conspiracy to disrupt peace in Kannur.</p>.<p>BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said the onus for maintaining law and order in the region was on the state police.</p>.<p>The Opposition Congress also stepped up its attack against what it called a failure of the home department under the Chief Minister.</p>
