Two Youth Congress workers were hacked to death near Periya in the Kasargod district of Kerala on Sunday. Following the incident, the United Democratic Front (UDF), which alleges CPI (M) to be behind the murders, has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Monday.
According to a report by Manoramaonline, the deceased have been identified as Kripesh and Sarath Lal, both hailing from Kalliyode, near Periya. Reports state that the two Youth Congress members were returning after attending an event when a gang of three men followed them on motorcycles and later attacked them near Periya. Kripesh is reported to have died on the spot while Sarath Lal died on the way to a hospital in Mangalore.
Addressing the media at Kochi after hearing about the incident, Mullappally Ramachandran, President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said that this murder was a planned one executed by goons attached to the CPI (M).
"Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who also holds the Home portfolio should explain this ghastly incident. This is not acceptable to the Kerala society... its high time that the CPI (M) directs its cadres to lay down arms," he said.
Kasargod district Congress president K Hakkim said, "This is a Kannur model murder that was neatly planned and executed in the dark."
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala told the media that the CPI (M) is using power to eliminate its political opponents and this will be strongly opposed by the Congress.
But Kannur district CPI (M) secretary MV Balakrishnan told the media that his party has no role in this incident.
"We strongly condemn this incident and our party has no role in this. We want the police to quickly arrest the people behind this," he said.
With IANS inputs