india

Updated: Feb 18, 2019 00:04 IST

Two Youth Congress workers were hacked to death allegedly by a group of CPI (M) workers in north Kerala’s Kasargode district on Sunday night, police said. The slain activists were identified as Kripesh (21) and Sharth Lal (26).

The victims were returning home in Periya on a motorbike when they were waylaid by assailants. While Kripesh died on the spot and Lal succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in neighbouring Mangaluru.

The Congress has called a shutdown in Kasargode district on Monday but the ruling CPI (M) denied any role in the twin murders saying some personal enmity between two groups led to the killings. But the Congress reiterated that it was cold-blooded political murders.

Police said there were some skirmishes between Congress and CPI (M) workers a couple of days back and they suspect the latest murders as a fallout of that fight.

The CPI (M) Periya branch secretary and two workers were injured in a recent clash with Congress workers and the latest attack is suspected to be a sequel to this. Police had registered cases against both parties after the clash.

“CPI (M) activists are behind this heinous attack. Going by witnesses accounts it is a well planned and executed political murders. It is sad the party still feels it can silence its political opponents by annihilating them,” said district Congress committee president Hakkim Kunnel.

Opposition leader Ramesh Cheniithala also condemned the murders and said he will visit the district on Tuesday.