A violent clash erupted between workers of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district on Sunday night, leading to widespread tension and property damage. The confrontation, which began in Nedumangad, quickly escalated into retaliatory attacks targeting homes and vehicles belonging to members of both parties.
According to the Nedumangad police, the violence was triggered after an SDPI group allegedly assaulted a local CPI(M) leader earlier in the evening. The incident provoked outrage among CPI(M) supporters, and within hours, several houses belonging to SDPI workers were reportedly attacked by unidentified individuals.
The situation worsened when masked men vandalised an ambulance and a car owned by an SDPI worker later that night. Videos from the area showed damaged vehicles and shattered glass strewn across the streets.
In what appeared to be a retaliatory act, another ambulance—this one operated by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPI(M)—was torched near a government hospital in the early hours of Monday. The fire destroyed the vehicle completely before firefighters managed to bring it under control.
Police have launched an investigation to establish the sequence of events and determine whether the incidents were connected. Law enforcement teams have also increased patrolling in and around Nedumangad to prevent further escalation. “A detailed probe is underway, and efforts are on to identify all those involved,” officials said, adding that the situation remains tense but under control.
