The Hindu : Kerala / Alappuzha News : CPI(M) had no role in murder: Baby

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 07, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Alappuzha

CPI(M) had no role in murder: Baby

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, JULY 6. The CPI (M) Alappuzha district secretary, M. A. Baby, has denied the accusation of BJP leaders that the murder of a BJP worker, Murugan, here was a result of political rivalry.

In a statement issued here today, Mr. Baby said the murder was a result of a clash which was not political. The CPI (M) had no role in it, said Mr. Baby. At the same time the killed BJP worker was an accused in several cases, noted Mr. Baby.

Mr. Baby said that BJP workers had been attacking CPI (M) workers in the district for the last few years. `Two senior leaders of the CPI (M) had been killed in the district by BJP-RSS workers in the last one year,' said Mr. Baby. The CPI (M) Mararikkulam area committee member, Benny, had been brutally murdered on March 16 this year. Before that a CITU leader, Rajappan, was murdered at Mannancherry, he said.

Mr. Baby said the BJP had to face widespread protests in the district following the two murders. The present effort of the BJP was to divert the attention of the public from their violent politics. He said the policy of the CPI (M) was to face the challenge of the BJP ideologically and to isolate them from the people. The Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, and the police policy being followed by him were coming to the aid of the BJP, he said.