Sabarimala Temple row: Country-made bomb hurled at houses of CPI(M) leaders in Kannur

Update at 10:46 AM: Section 144 imposed in Adoor region of Pathanamthitta district

Update at 10:45 AM: As the sources, the police as made as many as 260 arrests in the aftermath of the violence during the 'hartal' in Kannur. Furthermore, a peace meeting will be held by Kannur police with all the groups in the state. Political parties in the state have assured the police to take maximum efforts to prevent any sort of violence.

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Violence erupted across Kerala on Friday night with bombs hurled at the house of Thalassery MLA and CPI(M) leader A N Shamseer among other places. 

Unidentified persons riding a bike hurled a bomb at Shamseer's house at Madapeedikayil near Thalassery in Kannur district of northern Kerala at around 10.15 pm, police told PTI. 

"This was an RSS conspiracy to instigate violence in the state. They intend to create violence and destroy the peaceful atmosphere of the state," Shamseer told reporters.

The attack happened when the CPI(M) leader was attending a peace meeting organised at Thalassery after widespread violence had hit the state following the hartal declared by several groups over the entry of women in Sabarimala. 

Bombs were also hurled at CPI(M) leader and former Kannur district secretary of CPI(M) P Sasi's house at Thalassery and a CPI(M) activist Vishak attacked at Iritty, a place in Kannur district. 

In another development, prohibitory orders have been issued at Pandalam, Adoor and Kodumon police station areas in Pathanamthitta district for seven days. 

READ: MASSIVE: Two Women Claim To Have Entered The Sabarimala Sanctorum

Two shops and the house of a CPI(M) local leader at Adoor were also attacked with bombs on Friday. Seven persons were injured in these attacks. Pathanamthitta has witnessed widespread violence over the entry of women into the hill-top shrine of Sabarimala resulting in the death of a Sabarimala Karma Samiti member Chandran Unnithan at Pandalam. 

Kerala has been marred with violence since the afternoon of January 2 after two women of menstruating age managed to enter Sabarimala temple.

The southern state has been witnessing massive protests from the right-wing organisations since the state government decided to implement the September 28 order of the Supreme Court allowing women of all ages to enter the centuries-old temple. 

READ: Sabarimala Karma Samiti To Intensify Protests On Women's Entry Into Lord Ayyappa Temple

(With PTI inputs)