Kasaragod: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) will donate Rs 25 lakh for building a cultural centre in memory of the slain Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarathlal, said Karnataka PCC president and minister D K Shivakumar.

He was speaking at an event to mark the sixth death anniversary of the Youth Congress workers at Kalliyot near Periya in Kasaragod on Monday. He announced this in response to a petition given by the Congress workers of Kalliyot ward.

Shivakumar said he never expected the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which has a history, to be involved in such a crime. "The killings are a shame on Indian democracy. They are a shame on Indian culture," he said.

On January 3, a Special CBI court sentenced 10 CPM workers to double life imprisonment for conspiracy and murder of the two Youth Congress workers.

Shivakumar alleged the CPM had a political understanding with the BJP but it is not in the interest of Kerala. "Despite the understanding, they could not give good governance to Kerala, growth or happiness," he said.

He said his friends, with Kerala roots in Bengaluru, irrespective of political affiliations, wanted to see the back of the LDF government in Kerala. "All are shocked by the governance of the LDF government in Kerala. They want to see a UDF government in Kerala after the next election," he said and promised that the Congress-led UDF would give a corruption and crime-free governance in Kerala.

His speech was translated into Malayalam by Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil. The memorial event was attended by Kerala Pradesh Congress President and Kannur PM K Sudhakaran, Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, Karnataka Congress vice-president and MLC Manjunath Bhandary, MLA and Kerala Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil and Kasaragod District Congress president P K Faisal.