Kasaragod: Five days after the gruesome murders of two Youth Congress workers allegedly by CPM men at Periya in Kerala's Kasaragod district, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday slammed the heinous crime and stated that this was a thoughtless act by some persons.
The CM's statement comes at a time when the ruling CPM is under attack over the murders. The party had expelled local committee member and prime suspect in the case A Peethambaran after he was arrested in the case.
"Murder is a heinous act. I hang my head in shame before the people. The CPM does not support anything wrong. Such acts are an insult on the LDF government, which has been doing an excellent job," the CM said at the foundation-laying ceremony of the CPM district committee office at Kasaragod. He also said that the police had been given strict instructions to take strong action against the culprits.
Congress had alleged that its workers Sharathlal and Kripesh were hacked to death by CPM goons.
Reacting to the accusations against his party, Pinarayi said: "There are people waiting for a chance to pounce on the CPM. The culprits of the Youth Congress murders have given them a chance to attack the party. However, the CPM is not an establishment that will be destroyed by such acts.”
"Several incidents happened in the backdrop of the gruesome murder. Youth Congress leaders literally were on a rampage after the double murders. However, there seems to be no backlash against this,” he added.
Black flags greet CM
The Youth Congress workers waved black flags at the CM on way to the CPM office at Kasaragod Friday. The police removed the protesters.
Earlier, Pinarayi had expressed his wish to meet the bereaved families during his trip to the district on Friday but backed off at the eleventh hour following the advice of police and local CPM leaders.
The CPM district leadership contacted the Congress district leaders and they replied that they were not sure about how the workers, relatives and friends of the slain youngsters would react when the chief minister visits the houses.
The police also said they were sceptical about the security issues and the possible protest by Congress and Youth Congress workers at Kallyott, a stronghold of Congress where the houses are situated.
However, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, a CPI leader, had visited the houses of the slain Youth Congress workers at Periya in Kasaragod on Thursday that irked CPM leaders.
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