BJP renews demand for CBI probe into Marad riots

via Pioneer News Service | Kochi published on April 27, 2006




































Kerala State BJP president PS Sreedharan Pillai has reiterated his demand for a CBI probe into the 2003 Marad riots. He also asked the Kerala Government to publish the findings of the Justice Thomas P Joseph Commission.

He alleged that the CPI(M) had become Communist Party of India (Madani) instead of Communist Party of India (Marxist) by playing the communal card to appease an extremist outfit like PDP.

Mr Pillai alleged that both the LDF and UDF were equally responsible for the Marad massacre. He said that the chargesheet included names of 28 persons belonging to the CPI(M). Activists of Indian Union Muslim League and NDF were also involved in the case, he said.

When a consensus package was formulated, former chief minister AK Antony had given an assurance that once the Government got the report, he would investigate on inter-state and foreign connections of the extremist elements and their source of income, Pillai said. But even after the commission submitted the report, no steps had been taken in this regard, he complained. He also alleged that the Government had breached the accord with the Araya community in the area.

There were reports that the commission itself had found evidences of foreign involvement and now the Government should order a CBI enquiry, a long-time demand of the BJP, Pillai argued. Also the CPI(M), IUML and the NDF should clarify their stand on the issue, he demanded.

Five persons had been killed in the two-day riot between two communities at Marad, a seaside village near Beypore in Kozhikode in January 2002. In the second incident, nine persons were killed in May 2, 2003.

Pillai alleged that both the fronts had been betraying the public in the issue of the release of PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani. The resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly was a classic example of votebank politics pursued by both the LDF and UDF.

He said that in the present legal set up, it was impossible to release a chargesheeted person who had been remanded by a court. “By passing such a resolution, our MLAs have challenged the Constitution and it is onslaught of the independence of the Judiciary,” Pillai added.

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