Attack on Naseer: Cong will be forced to take law into hands,

The Congress staged a protest here Thursday demanding the arrest of a CPI-M MLA over the recent attack on a former Marxist councillor with senior leader and MP K Sudhakaran warning the party would be forcedto "take law into its hands" if action was not taken against those involved.

Sudhakaran, MP from Kannur, made the remark in his speech at a day-long protest organised by the District Congress Committee seeking detailed probe into the case and the arrest of Thalassery MLA A N Shamseer, whom it alleged was the mastermind behind the attack.

C O T Naseer, a former Marxist councillor who contested from Vatakara Lok Sabha constituency as an independent in the recent polls, was attacked at Thalassery in the district allegedly by a group of CPI(M) supporters on May 18. Five people have been arrested in the case so far.

Sudhakaran said if the police fails to make necessary arrests, the Congress will take direction action.

"There should be a stipulated time for arrests to be made. If the police does not make necessary action to take into the custody those who have sent the goons to attack Naseer, the Congress party will take the law into its hands," Sudhakaran said.

The issue had figured in the ongoing Kerala assembly session.

Raising the issue in the assembly on June 11, senior Congress Leader K C Joseph had alleged Naseer had mentioned the name of Shamseer in the statement to the police but no action has been taken yet.

Rejecting the claim, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said police had taken the statement of Naseer thrice and said nothing like that was in the statement.

Senior Congress leader and Vatakara MP K Muraleedharan, who also spoke during the protest in Kannur, said Shamseer, who was in the assembly during the discussion, was silent.

"When an allegation is levelled against someone, they will rebut but Shamsheer did not speak a word," he said.

The Opposition Congress led UDF had on Tuesday staged a walkout after the Speaker refused to allow a notice for adjournment motion seeking proper investigation into the attack on Naseer.

Vijayan, who is also the Home Minister, had said that the CPI(M) does not have any enmity towards Naseer.