Days after CPM worker was killed, BJP activist hacked to death in Kerala
Kannur: Two days after a member of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) was hacked to death, a BJP activist was killed in Kerala's Kannur district on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old BJP activist was hacked to death by a group of people at a petrol pump near Pinarayi town. The party alleged CPM role in the murder.
The deceased has been identified as Prenith, police said, adding, the incident occurred at around 10.30 am. Pinarayi is the home town of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Waynad Superintendent of Police, K Karthick, who also has charge of Kannur, said he was rushing to the spot to take stock of the situation.
Kannur has witnessed a series of attacks on political workers in the recent past.
On Monday, CPM's branch secretary 52-year-old Kuzhichal Mohanan was hacked to death by six unidentified masked men at his shop in a busy market area in Valankichal.
The CPM had condemned the 'brutal murder' of Mohanan and accused the BJP and RSS for his murder. The CPI (M) had also claimed that the BJP, which failed to win the state assembly elections, is resorting to such violent attacks as an act of revenge.
The Kerala police had also said that they suspect the murder was politically motivated.
There have been several attacks on political workers and activists since the LDF government came to power in May this year. According to an official statistics, more than 50 political attacks have taken place and at least four political workers were murdered since.
Last month, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi had claimed that about 400 cases of violence have been registered in four months after the LDF government came to power. At least 200 BJP workers have been assaulted, maimed or killed, and 200 homes burnt, she had said.
The BJP had last month slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for "increasing" number of political attacks in Kannur district and sought a probe by CBI or Supreme Court or High Court judge on the "red terror" unleashed against its workers.
