Two members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were hacked to death allegedly by Congress workers in Kerala on Sunday night, police said.
The deceased are workers of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Mithilaj, 30 and Haq Muhammed, 24. They were attacked using sharp edged weapons at Thembamood in Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram district at around 11.30 pm.
While Mithilaj died on the spot, Muhammed lost his life while being taken to hospital. Their bodies have been shifted to the Medical College mortuary.
The DYFI workers were attacked while they were going to Mithilaj's home on a motorbike, police said.
Visuals captured on CCTV show around eight people standing on a road at night, out of which two men are seen attacking two others with a sword. One person starts running away while the two are seen chasing him.
Launching an investigation, police took three persons into custody in connection with the incident.
Police said that it is suspected that the rivalry between the CPI(M) and the Congress was the reason for the attack.
The area was tense following the incident, they added.
The CPI(M) and the DYFI alleged that Congress workers were behind the attack on their activists on the eve of Thiruvonam day, national festival of Kerala.
Terming it a "heinous attack", CPI(M) state secretariat member KN Balagopal alleged the Congress leadership was responsible for the killing of DYFI activists.
"Two DYFI workers were brutally killed on the eve of Thiruvonam day. It is evident that the Congress, instead of encouraging democratic discourse, is encouraging violence against CPI(M)-DYFI workers in the state. We strongly condemn this heinous attack on DYFI activists," Balagopal said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly condemned the murder in a Facebook post. "Have instructed the police to conduct a thorough investigation to catch the people who are behind the murder. There will be investigation on the reasons that led to the murder and those who worked behind it. I pay my condolences to Haq Muhammed and Mithilaj,” wrote CM Pinarayi.
(With PTI input)