Pinarayi, Chennithala spar over CBI probe in RSS man's murder

CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan today slammed Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala for referring to the CBI the probe into murder of RSS activist, Elamthottathil Manoj at Kathirur in Kannur district, saying "it betrayed the RSS mindset of the Home Minister".
Chennithala, however, shot back asking Vijayan as to why he was getting upset for referring the case to the CBI.
Talking to reporters in Kannur, Vijayan said the Congress and the RSS were in hand-in-gloves as far as the Manoj case was concerned and that was why the UDF Government referred the case to the CBI under pressure from the RSS and the BJP leadership.

"This betrayed the RSS mindset of the state Home Minister. That is why this case was hastily referred to the CBI," the CPI(M) leader said.
Hitting back at Vijayan, Chennithala said he was at a loss to know the cause of the CPI(M) leader's worry over the CBI probe into the murder.
"Is it that he is afraid of the outcome of such an investigation. Raising objections to a thorough probe in a murder case is difficult to understand", Chennithala said in Pathanamthitta.
Manoj, a district functionary of the RSS, was waylaid and hacked to death on September 1 at politically sensitive Kathirur by a group of assailants, allegedly comprising CPI(M) workers and sympathisers.

Union Home Minister Rajanath Singh visited Manoj's home two days back and assured the RSS-BJP leadership that the notification for the investigation in the case would soon be issued by the CBI.