Kerala: Youth Congress worker hacked to death; political violence rises

Thiruvananthapuram/Alapuzha, Mar 15: In fresh escalation of political violence in poll-bound Kerala, a 28-year-old Youth Congress worker was hacked to death allegedly by DYFI workers at Evoor in Alapuzha early today even as BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in Thiruvananthapuram district leaving at least 30 injured.

Police sources said Youth Congress worker Sunil Kumar was woken up from sleep at 2 AM this morning by eight activists of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPI(M), and attacked as he ran out of the house.

Kumar suffered serious injuries on his hands and legs and later succumbed to his wounds, police said. The victim was said to have been a DYFI activist earlier.

Four DYFI workers have been arrested, police said and added that a hunt is on for others. Last night, BJP and CPI(M) workers had clashed at Kattayikonam in Thiruvananthapuram district, leaving at least 30 injured.

One of them is reportedly in serious condition. Former BJP state President V Muraleedharan was among those injured in stone throwing, allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

Demanding the arrest of the accused, BJP observed a hartal in the district today. CPI-M had also called for a hartal today in Kattayikonam.

Vehicles have been exempted from the hartal's purview to prevent inconvenience to students appearing for exams. As the political heat over the May 16 elections is slowly rising, reports of rival party workers clashing in various parts of the state, especially northern Kannur district, are also increasing.

An RSS worker was recently hacked to death in Pappinesseri and a BJP worker escaped with serious injuries in Panur, both in Kannur district after they were attacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

It's a do or die battle this time for BJP, which has so far not opened its account in the Kerala assembly and is going all out to woo voters across the state.

BJP has entered into an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Seva (BDJS), an organisation of the numerically strong Ezhava community.

The fact that the saffron party had performed well in the local body polls in November has also given the party a glimmer of hope.

Both the ruling Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, which have ruled the state alternatively all these years, are also leaving nothing to chance.

PTI