kozhikode, Aug 07: BJP's Kerala unit has reiterated its demand for a CBI probe into the May 2 Marad violence that claimed nine lives and said that the party would continue to protest till the government met the demand. "Only an enquiry by the CBI will help in tracing the rootcause of the attack in the beach area and the BJP will accept nothing short of it", party's newly-elected state president, P S Sreedharan Pillai, told reporters here.

Referring to the recent withdrawal of two petitions from the high court after seeking a CBI probe, he said the court, after hearing the views of the crime branch, had only advised that the petitions be withdrawn, but had not said anything against ordering an investigation by the central agency.
"The court only ruled that the petitions be withdrawn as the crime branch has already prepared the chargesheet against the accused on completion of its enquiry. However, it did not say that the incident doesn't warrant a CBI probe", he said.

Earlier, Pillai was accorded a warm reception by a large gathering of party workers on his arrival at the railway station.
Bureau Report