Thiruvananthapuram: Two more people were arrested here on Wednesday in connection with the killing of two DYFI workers, taking the total number of those nabbed to seven, even as the ruling CPI(M) observed a ''black day'' across the state in protest against the brutal attack. A search is on for two more people allegedly involved in the killing, police said, adding that the call detail records of the accused would be collected soon. Mithilaj (30) and Haq Muhammed (24) of the CPI(M)''s youth wing DYFI were fatally attacked with sharp edged weapons at nearby Venjaramoodu on Sunday night.
The killings are suspected to be a fallout of political rivalry between the CPI(M) and the Congress workers. The CPI(M), heading the ruling LDF coalition on Wednesday continued its attack on the Congress and its MP Adoor Prakash with a second state minister Kadakampally Surendran accusing the Attingal MP of his alleged involvement in the matter. "Police are probing all the aspects in the brutal murder. The MP has been helping the Congress goons for a long time. Even yesterday, when asked whether he had helped these people in another case involving a DYFI worker, he could not answer properly. He is now alleging that CPI(M) members were involved in the crime, just to derail the probe,"Surendran told reporters.
However, Prakash dismissed all the allegations and once again challenged the government to prove the charges. He alleged that the Rural Superintendent of Police heading the probe team was acting on behalf of the ruling party. Prakash also charged DYFI state secretary A A Rahim with trying to influence the probe. Industries Minister E P Jayarajan had on Tuesday alleged that the accused in the killings had "close links" with Prakash, prompting him to dare the government to prove it. Meanwhile CPI(M) activists marched to the residence of Prakash here today and courted arrest.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,inaugurating the protest meet at Ernakulam as part of the state-wide agitation, cautioned party workers not to fall for the ''provocation'' by the Congress. "It''s not the policy of CPI(M) to take two lives for the two lives lost. This is a plot by the Congress to destroy the peace prevailing in the state. They are trying to provoke the Left workers. We must not fall into their trap," he said. The Congress, meanwhile, charged the CPI(M) with attacking its party offices across the state. Prakash found support in Opposition Leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala, Congress state chief Mullappally Ramachandran and other party leaders.
"The Left is involved in tarnishing the image of the Congress MP. We stand strongly behind him. The killings are not a political one. In the name of these murders,Left activists are attacking congress party offices across the state," Chennithala said. The remand report filed in a local court on Tuesday said the root cause of the issue started on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha election when the accused, who are Congress workers, got into a scuffle with the DYFI workers. "The accused in this case had on May 25 attempted to murder a DYFI activist Faisal and was arrested," the report said.
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