Govt attempting to protect Marad violence accused: BJP

Kozhikode, Sep 26 (UNI) The Baratiya Janata Party (BJP) today accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in Kerala of attempting to protect CPI (M) activists, involved in the ('worst ever') Marad violence that claimed nine lives in the state three years ago.

Talking to newspersons here, BJP Kerala Unit President P S Sreedharan Pillai alleged a concerted effort was being made by the bureaucracy to shield the CPI (M) activists involved in the violence at Marad Beach here on May two, 2003.

Instead of placing the report altogether in the Assembly as promised by the government, submitting it in a phased manner was testimony to this ''evil design'' by the bureaucracy to protect the culprits, he said.

From the Action Taken Report on the Judicial Commission findings on the violence, submitted to the Assembly, there was clear evidence of the involvement of the activists of the CPI (M), the Indian Union Muslim League and the National Development, a Kerala-based Muslim outfit, he alleged.

Mr Pillai also demanded a high-level probe into the 'conspiracy, militancy-link, inter-state connection and financial angles' of the incident.

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