Kasaragod: CPI national executive member K Prakash Babu has come down hard on its ally Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) after its leaders turned hostile in court, leading to the acquittal of RSS-BJP workers accused of assaulting former minister E Chandrasekharan.

In a Facebook post, Prakash Babu called the CPM's position in the case reprehensible and ridiculous and asked whether the Marxist party leaders were hell bent on saving the RSS-BJP leaders.

"You might remember the photo of Kanhangad MLA E Chandrasekharan standing with his left arm in a shoulder sling for the swearing-in ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram. He was injured in an attack by RSS goons. A CPM member who was with him in the jeep was also hurt.

"Twelve RSS-BJP workers were chargesheeted on 10 criminal counts, including one of an attempt to murder and one of causing grievous injuries. But when the case came up for hearing in the court, all the CPM leaders including the one who was with Chandrasekharan turned hostile. Hence, the court acquitted all 12 BJP-RSS workers for lack of evidence.

"The stance of the local and district CPM leaders to protect the RSS and BJP workers at all costs instead of giving a satisfactory statement in support of CPI leader and former minister Chandrasekaran is absolutely reprehensible. I think CPM state leadership will take this issue seriously," he said in his post. Prakash Babu is the first CPI leader to officially comment on CPM leaders turning hostile in Chandrasekharan's case.

On January 28, Onmanorama reported first how CPM Kasaragod district committee member T K Ravi and CPM South Madikai Local Committee member Anil Bangalam refused to identify the accused in the court, leading to their acquittal.

To be sure, both leaders had given statements to the police identifying the accused.

In another assault case in Kallar village of Kasaragod, eight BJP victims turned hostile to help 12 CPM workers, including district committee member K Krishnan Oklav walk free. They were facing charges of attempted culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The CPI leaders in Kasaragod had alleged that the district leadership of the BJP and the CPM sabotaged the two cases to save their leaders and workers from the two cases.