IUML up in arms against booking culprits

KOZHIKODE: Close on the heels of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) district leadership in Kasargod, the party leaders in Kozhikode are up in arms against the police for registering cases under Section 153 (A) (spreading enmity between communities) against the accused in acts of violence in Nadapuram. The irate IUML leaders have decided to meet Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to express their strong resentment against the police action of charging sections pertaining to communal cases in pure political clashes. The police action in the recent CPM-IUML clash at Valayam near Nadapuram appears to be the latest provocation for the Muslim League leaders. “Of late, police are deliberately giving a communal colour to the political clashes at Nadapuram by registering cases under Section 153 (A), which is not intended for the state. In the police reports, it is noted that a section of Hindus and Muslims clashed each other. By doing so, police are evoking a communal feeling among the people who hardly have a communal feeling at present. We won’t allow to label the place as communally sensitive just like regions in Northern India,” IUML Nadapuram Constituency Committee president Ahamed Punnakal told  Express.Muslim League leaders allege that overstating  clashes as “communal tension” would cause unforeseen consequences. “Even if there exists a communal colour, the authorities should play down the issue. Otherwise, people will start thinking on religions lines instead of political views,” Ahamed said.However, the CPM and the BJP have a different view on the issue. CPM Nadapuram Area Committee secretary Balan Master said they were not against charging Section 153 (A) but the police have to ensure that no innocent was punished. “At present, police is not taking serious actions to prevent the riots. Though there are enough vehicles for  Nadapuram Police, there is hardly any patrolling activities at violence prone areas. What they are doing is to arrest equal number of people from both communities whether they are involved in violence or not. Instead of that, they should arrest the real culprits and take stringent action,” he said. CPM leaders alleged that the NDF workers, pretending as IUML activists, were carrying out violence in the region. “After the incident these people are getting help from Muslim League leadership. The lethargy of the police inarresting IUML workers shows this, the area secretary pointed out.Meanwhile, BJP district president P Reghunath said that the police should charge sections pertaining to treason besides charging Section 153 (A). “Every act of violence is part of a conspiracy by the NDF. These are not political cases and it should be dealt with serious action, he added. Police officials, when contacted, said they were acting on the basis of a Central Government direction that every communal situation should be treated as communal before it gets compounded. Besides, the gradual increase in riots in Kasargod district clearly proved that playing down incidents with communal colour as political clashes is counter productive,” they pointed out.