Memorials of Communist leaders sullied in Kannur: Police

Police on Thursday registered a case against unidentified miscreants after several memorials of Communist leaders were defaced at Payyambalam in Kannur, officials said.
The memorials dedicated to Communist leaders such as EK Nayanar, Chadayan Govindan, O Bharathan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were found to be defaced with some kind of substance, said an official familiar with the matter.
Kannur city police commissioner Ajit Kumar said, “According to the preliminary findings , the miscreants sprayed some kind of sugary liquid on the memorials. It’s a juice like substance and not a chemical. It is not clear when was the crime committed as there are no CCTV cameras directly facing the area. The inquiry is going on.”
He added that a case under Section 153 (intentionally causing riot through provocation in malignant/wanton manner) of the IPC has been filed.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership took note at the incident and alleged a “conspiracy” behind it especially with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“The incidents should be examined if this is a conspiracy to deflect the people’s attention from the major issues at a time when the Left front is strongly marching ahead in its campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. The culprits should be found and punished. This is a peaceful election and there should be no attempts to spark violence in this way,” CPI (M) state secretary MV Govindan told the reporters.