Local CPM leader hacked to death in Palakkad; CPM, BJP blame each other

A local Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader was murdered in Palakkad district on Sunday night.

While the CPM claimed it was a political murder executed by the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (BJP-RSS) association, local BJP leadership alleged that internal issues in the CPM led to the murder of 40-year-old Shajahan.

Shajahan was a branch secretary and a local committee member of the CPM. He was from Kunnangad, near Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

Officials said that he was hacked to death by a gang of unknown assailants at around 9 pm on Sunday at Kunnangad junction. He suffered severe injuries on his neck and head, and although he was rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

He was survived by a wife and three children.

Palakkad district police chief R Viswanath said it was too early to speculate on the murder motive. However, he revealed there were eight attackers, and that the police were working on nabbing them.

Meanwhile, some locals told a section of the media that the accused were CPM workers, who could be identified. The locals alleged that the attackers supposedly had differences of opinion with the local CPM leadership and were reportedly close to BJP-RSS in the locality.

CPM state secretariat issued a statement accusing BJP-RSS workers of the murder, and that the party was now running misleading campaign against the CPM. BJP leaders, however, refuted the accusation and said that CPM activists were behind the killing.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said it was improper to jump to conclusions while an investigation was underway.