Thiruvananthapuram: Hours after making a purported death threat to a police officer, who allegedly targeted SFI activists, CPM Thiruvananthapuram district secretary and Varkala MLA V Joy has denied issuing any such threat.Joy on Friday told the media that he was only cautioning a senior police officer about the possibility of fatalities if Cantonment SI Gokul continued his alleged physical assault on SFI workers.“If we are pushed to our limits by him, it will trigger the possibility of a murder, mind you,” Joy told Cantonment assistant commissioner of police V Jayachandran during a protest march on Thursday against the alleged police lathicharge on SFI workers.His remarks triggered widespread criticism after visuals of the protest were circulated on social media.However, Joy said his remarks were taken out of context. “I haven’t threatened to murder anybody. I was only warning that police action could result in the deaths of SFI and CPM workers. If the children are beaten like this, their lives could be at risk. A murder could happen then. This is what I said,” he clarified.Joy made the remarks in the presence of senior CPM functionaries, including former minister Kadakampally Surendran. Pro-CPM cyber groups had also launched a campaign against Gokul.CPM and SFI activists alleged that Cantonment CI Satheesh Kumar and Gokul brutally assaulted SFI workers after a police team entered the University men’s hostel at Palayam on Wednesday. SFI workers had allegedly pelted stones at the police from inside the hostel, triggering a clash between the police and the activists.Following threats from SFI and CPM activists that they would confront the police officers on the streets, special security arrangements were made at the CI’s residence near Kattakkada.
