CPI-M worker killed in Kerala

The CPI-M condemned the brutal murder of one of its leaders in Kerala "by RSS hoodlums" on Monday and accused the RSS and its affiliates of launching murderous attacks on the Left.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said a group of heavily armed RSS activists entered a toddy shop where K. Mohanan, 52, was working and hacked him to death.

Around 30-40 sharp wounds were inflicted on his body, a CPI-M statement said. This, it said, was the second murder of a CPI-M worker in Dharmadom constituency represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Earlier, RSS workers had attacked a CPI-M victory procession in the same constituency on the day of vote counting, leading to the death of CPI-M worker Ravindranath, it said.

The party urged police to speedily arrest the culprits responsible for the latest murder.

"This heinous murder took place even as a motley group of BJP workers marched to the CPI-M headquarters in Delhi, purportedly to protest (against) the attacks on RSS workers in Kerala," the statement said.

"The fact is that in Kerala it is the CPI-M and other constituents of the

LDF that have been at the receiving end of the murderous attacks mounted

by the RSS and its outfits.

"In the short duration that the current LDF government has been in office,

as many as six CPI-M workers have been killed and around 300 of its members injured in brutal attacks launched by the RSS.

"Thirty-five offices of the party have been attacked and destroyed and 80 houses of party workers attacked and damaged," the CPI-M said.

--IANS

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