A 52-year-old CPI(M) activist was stabbed to death near here, allegedly by a BJP worker, police said on Monday. Munroe Island resident Manilal was attacked last night by Ashokan (55), who was later arrested, they said. CPI(M) state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan said the killing was an attempt to disrupt peace ahead of polling for the first phase of the local body elections on Tuesday.
"RSS criminals have murdered a CPI(M) activist Manilal at around 8.30 pm on Sunday night in front of the LDF election committee office. This murder is a concocted plan by the RSS to disrupt the peace in the locality hours before the local polls," Vijayaraghavan posted on Facebook. CPI(M) claimed the RSS was deliberately trying to create an atmosphere of terror in a region with no history of violence.
"We condemn the murder of comrade Manilal. We also urge all democratic forces to protest against this brutal murder," the party said in a statement. However, police said they were investigating the matter and yet to confirm whether it was a political murder. Police said Ashokan came in an autorickshaw and attacked Manilal who was standing in front of the election office of the LDF.
The BJP is yet to react to the allegations of the CPI (M). This is the fourth CPI(M) worker killed in the state in the last four months. P U Sanoop, a branch secretary of ruling CPI(M), was stabbed to death in October allegedly by a gang of rightwingoutfits, according to sources. Earlier,on August 30, two DYFI activists were hacked to death, allegedly by Congress activists at Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram.
Published 07 December 2020, 09:20 IST