Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said that the government would use strong measures to contain the political clashes that have been going on in the north districts between the Communist Party of India Marxist and the Bharatiya Janata Party cadres.

The clashes were triggered after the murders of a CPM worker and a BJP worker on Friday in Kasaragod and Thrissur districts, respectively.

Ironically, the clashes are happening as the state celebrated the anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and also celebrated Onam, the festival that reminds Keralites of a mythical kingdom known for the good governance of its king, Mahabali.

“The CPM-BJP clashes are deliberate acts of violence. Even women and children are being attacked. Political parties must think whether such violence should be resorted to. We will not allow anyone to take law into their hands”, Chennithala said.

The home minister said the series of clashes over the past few days were a “shame for the entire state”. The political skirmishes began on Onam day, following the killing of a CPM worker in Kasargod. Retaliation happened the same day in Thrissur with the killing of a BJP worker, and since then there has been violence between the cadres of the two parties in different districts.

Following multiple incidents of knife attacks in the northern districts, the violence spread further south with one incident of clashes reported from Kumarakom in Kottayam district.

Political killings have lessened in Kerala in recent times, but the fresh wave of violence is significant in the context of the general feeling that the CPM is losing many of its cadres to the BJP. Political observers say that such a shift of cadres from CPM to the BJP will indirectly benefit the ruling Congress party because it weakens its traditional rival, CPM.

In the recent by-election to the Aruvikkara assembly constituency, the Congress candidate K. Sabarinath had won with a thumping margin despite a series of corruption allegations against the government. Observers say the result had more to do with a weaker CPM than any accomplishments by the Congress.

Kerala is headed for the civic body elections, which are most likely to be held by end November.