There has been a deliberate attempt to trigger communal riots in the state of Kerala by the CPI(M) cadre by attacking places of worship of minorities and killing of rival politicians belonging to the Muslim community and pass it off as the handiwork of the RSS/BJP. A series of incidents show that there is a pattern in such cases. The trend started ever since RSS/Jana Sangh became active in the state politics. In the Thalassery riots of 1971, it was observed that the Communists tried to ratchet up enmity by fuelling tension between Hindu and Muslim communities by spreading canards. Justice Joseph Vithayathil Commission of Inquiry, appointed by the Government of Kerala in February 14, 1972, too observed the ‘Jeep Jatha’ led by senior Communist leader AK Gopalan triggered panic among Muslims. More than 30 mosques were attacked in the riots and most of them were situated in CPI(M) strongholds where RSS/Jana Sangh had no presence. But the Communists continue to spread the lie that RSS/BJP were responsible for this. The Commission states: “The propaganda jatha conducted by Sri AK Gopalan against the (Muslim) League at this time helped the Hindu communalists to intensify the anti-Muslim feeling throughout the state. This was reflected in the Legislative Assembly also where a Marxist member strongly attacked the policy of the League Education Minister in the matter of appointment of Arabic teachers.”

The latest incident of pelting of stones at Perambra Town Juma Masjid, Kozhikode, by some miscreants on January 3, when a hartal organised by Sabarimala Karma Samithi, an umbrella body of Hindu organisations, in protest against the CPI(M)-led LDF government’s policy on Sabarimala was underway. The police arrested the accused Atul Das, CPI(M) Branch Secretary, after analysing the CCTV footages. The police also arrested about 20 DYFI (youthwing of CPI-M) workers in connection with the attack. They were charged under section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on the basis of religion. The attempt was an link RSS/BJP workers in the crime despite mounting evidence against the accused. CPI(M) leaders and a Minister in the state government issued open threats to the police as a result of which the sections against the culprits were diluted and were given bail in a day, though they were charged under non-bailable sections. The FIR lodged by the President of Juma Masjid Mahal Committee stated: “The accused, with the intention of perpetrating a communal hostility due to a clash between two political parties, have ganged up and pelted stones at the Juma Masjid on the Perambra-Kuttiyadi road and caused damages to the property.” (As reported by The News Minute)

The 51-year-old TP Chandrasekharan, the founder of Revolutionary Marxist Party in Kerala, was hacked to death in Kozhikode on May 4, 2012. He had 51 cut marks on his body. The CPI(M) was upset with him as he had deserted the party to form RMP. The gang of CPI(M) workers who committed the murder had used an Innova with a sticker ‘Masha Allah’ in Arabic pasted on the rear of the car. This was a ploy to mislead the police and link Muslim youths with the murder.

NDF activist Muhammed Fasal was murdered on October 22, 2006. The CBI which probed the case named CPI(M) leaders Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrasekharan. It is reported that the accused wore saffron dhotis and chanted ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ while committing the crime. To give an impression that RSS workers were behind the murder, the accused placed a blood stained kerchief near the house of a RSS worker. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the state home minister, had blamed RSS immediately after seeing the dead body in the morgue. CPI(M) sympathisers in the police extracted a statement from Subeesh, an RSS worker, in which he had alleged RSS workers behind the murder. But in the court he said the statement was given under duress.