Kannur: Charges are flying thick and fast over the past incidents of political violence in Kannur. The latest salvo has been fired by CPM's E P Jayarajan MLA, who said that Congress leader K Sudhakaran was directly involved in the killing of CPM worker Nalpadi Vasu. Jayarajan also said that Sudhakaran had been involved in a conspiracy to kill Pinarayi Vijayan, who is now the chief minister.
"It was Sudhakaran himself who had grabbed his gunman's weapon and shot Nalpadi Vasu. Sudhakaran was the accused in the case registered by the Mattannur police in connection with the incident," said Jayarajan.
However, he refused to join issue with Sudhakaran regarding the Congress leader's statement that he would quit politics if it was proved that a bullet was lodged in E P Jayarajan's body. "There is no need to respond to a man who sent hired killers against me," said Jayarajan.
"Two persons were sentenced for attempting to kill me in a running train. One is still in jail. But the trial in the case related to the conspiracy behind the incident is yet to start. It was improper on the part of Sudhakaran to rake up the issue in such circumstances," said Jayarajan.
"I cannot stoop to the level of Sudhakaran by responding to his statement," he added.
"Sudhakaran is mad to say that no case had been filed regarding the conspiracy angle of the attack against me. In fact, the main target of the conspirators was Pinarayi Vijayan. They turned against me after Pinarayi gave them the slip," said Jayarajan.
He also said that, "Sudhakaran is a political criminal who does not realise what he says."
The Congress leader had earlier alleged that it was Pinarayi Vijayan who had initiated the CPM-RSS violence in Kannur. "The chief minister is speaking gibberish like a drunken man on the street regarding the Nalpadi Vasu murder," he said.
"What proof does the chief minister have for telling the Assembly that I grabbed a policeman’s gun and shot Vasu? Pinarayi should apologise for misleading the House," Sudhakaran had said in Kannur.
Jayarajan's statement came as a reply to this charge.
