Form peace panel, ban stir in Kovai: CPM

“To ensure peace, a peace committee with representatives from political parties, industrialists, traders and social organisations should be formed. Also permission shouldn’t be given to rallies, public meets and protests organised on religious lines which result in communal tension. Violators should be dealt with severely,” he told media.

In this regard, the CPM submitted petitions to both City Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan and District Collector K Rajamani.

“The police should have nipped in the bud the prevailing communal tension by preventing Hindu organisations from organising pro-CAA protests to counter the ongoing protests by Muslim outfits. Though usually the police don’t allow protests to happen in Gandhipuram, how did they permit Hindutva forces alone to protest in the heart of the city? This turned out to be a starting point for a chain of communal incidents,” Balakrishnan said.

The CPM leader also welcomed the efforts taken by the police in restoring normalcy and in maintaining law and order. The simmering communal tension led to chain of incidents including tit-for-tat attacks on functionaries of both the communities over the last one week.

In connection with the attacks, a Hindu Munnani functionary was booked by Coimbatore city police on Friday for assaulting an auto driver during a pro-CAA protest in Gandhipuram on March 2.

The Kattoor police booked Guna, a Hindu Munnani functionary, under IPC Sections 323 for causing hurt and 506 (1) for intimidating Shahul Hameed, an auto driver from Selvapuram, suspecting him of taking videos of their pro-CAA protest.

In a counter-complaint, the police also booked Shahul Hameed for criminal intimidation as he called up 10 persons and they all threatened Guna using obscene words.

Similarly, the police arrested Azarudeen (30) from Karumbukadai for attacking Hindu Munnani district secretary Anand while he was riding his two-wheeler to home, a few days ago. Another accused Noor Muhammed was arrested onWednesday night. 

Meanwhile, a large number of members from various Muslim outfits staged a demonstration near Aathupalam condemning the arrest of PFI functionaries in connection with Delhi violence.