House of activist heading stir for saving paddy fields stoned

Unidentified persons today attacked the house of a former CPI-M worker, spearheading a protest against the LDF government over acquisition of paddy land for national highway at Keezhattur near here, police said.

None was injured in the attack when miscreants pelted stones at the house of Suresh Keezhattur, a leader of 'Vayalkkilikal' (Paddy Birds) outfit, staging the protest for protection of paddy fields at Keezhattur, they said.

The incident comes a week after after a group of persons stated to be CPI-M activists set fire to a temporary shed of the protesters, who have been holding the agitation for the past three months.

Opposition Congress termed the attack on the house of Suresh as an "act of fascism".

Window panes of the house were damaged in the stone pelting, police said adding a case had been registered and investigation was on to find out the culprits.

Suresh Keezhattur along with eleven others were recently expelled from CPI-M for taking part in the agitation opposing utilising paddy land for highway development.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said in the state assembly recently that the government would not backtrack from the land acquisition for development purpose and termed the agitation as "anti-democratic and anti-development".

Suresh Keezhattur alleged that the CPI-M was trying to divert the paddy field protection stir and demanded that the government take action against those involved.

Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala of Congress condemned the attack, terming it as an "act of fascism".

He alleged that CPI-M leaders were threatening the agitators by their speeches.

The Marxist leaders, including the party's Kannur District Secretary P Jayarajan, had 'insulted' the agitators by calling then as 'terrorists', he said.

The attack on the house of Suresh was a fallout of that, he alleged.

Another senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran also condemned the attack.