Kerala government targeting CPI-M: Vijayan

The Oommen Chandy government is trying to "eliminate" the CPI-M by hoisting false cases against Marxists, veteran party leader Pinarayi Vijayan said Wednesday.

He told the media that the Congress-led government was trying to frame fresh cases against party members even after the court verdict in the murder of ex-member T.P. Chandrasekheran.

Vijayan, who is leading a state-wide 'yatra', said: "It is strange that the Kerala government is hell bent on destroying our party. Mind you, such a thing never happened even during the Emergency days (of 1975-77).

"The verdict in the (murder) case has come. Seeing that it was not what the Congress wanted, a different script is now being written.

"They are trying to circumvent the rule of the land to target us. It's unfortunate that a section of the media has joined hands with them," said Vijayan.

Vijayan and his party are upset as Chandrasekheran's widow, K.K. Rema, has started an indefinite hunger strike in front of the state secretariat here demanding a CBI probe into her husband's murder in May 2012.

Last month, a special court at Kozhikode sentenced 11 of the 12 accused to life term in the murder case. They included three district leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

"We do not fear any new investigation by any agency because nothing can be found against us," Vijayan said.

"Just look at the ongoing fast launched by Rema where religious fundamentalists, communal and all sorts of people including the Congress-led political front have expressed solidarity with her.

"We will deal this issue politically," added Vijayan.

Vijayan played down the response of his party rival V.S. Achuthanandan, who has said that Rema's demand for a CBI probe was just and valid.