Kozhikode:
Revolutionary Marxist Party leader T P Chandrasekharan, who was expelled from the CPM in 2009, was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Vadakara in Kozhikode district late last night.
Police say 52-year-old Chandrasekharan was attacked at around 10.15 PM on Friday. The assailants, who came in a car, hurled country-made bombs at Chandrashekaran who was riding a motorcycle. When Chandrashekaran fell off the motorcycle, he was hacked to death with sharp weapons.
Chandrasekharan was an active member of the CPM. He was expelled from the party after he, along with other leaders in Onjium area of the district raised a banner of revolt against the CPM over certain ideological issues. Since then, Chandrashekaran and other activists of the Revolutionary Marxist Party have been targetted by CPM workers.
Though the needle of suspicion pointed towards the CPM, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he would not confirm it till the police get solid leads. "A political leader was mercilessly killed. The culprits will be brought to book soon," Chandy said.
Police have constituted a special team to probe the incident and state Crime Branch chief Vinson M Paul will be overseeing the investigation.
However, CPM has denied reports that its party workers were behind the attack. "This is a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the CPM as the by-poll in Neyyattinkara is round the corner," CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters.
Chandrasekharan began his political career as an activist of the CPM's campus wing SFI. He later became a full time worker of the party in its stronghold. Chandrasekharan was once known as a supporter of senior leader V S Achuthanandan and was said to have incurred the wrath of the faction loyal to the party state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.
Meanwhile the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the ruling UDF alliance evoked partial response in the state. Private cars, autorickshaws and buses were seen plying on the roads. Most of the shops and business establishments remained open.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, has voiced his opposition to the strike called by his own party to protest the ex-CPM leader's killing. "Hartals of any form inconvenience people. I dont think we, as ruling party should be inconveniencing people. So I think it was wrong. Also hartal is about inaction. What we need is action, like going out and getting the perpetrators," Tharoor told NDTV.