CPI(M)  Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 3

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the brutal killing of Comrade P B Sandeep Kumar, secretary of the Peringara local committee of the Party in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district of Kerala by an RSS-BJP gang.  Sandeep, aged 36, a popular leader and a former member of the panchayat, was waylaid and stabbed with knives multiple times.

This murder is a continuation of the politics of murder targeting the CPI(M) practiced by the RSS-BJP in Kerala.  One of the key accused, who has been arrested, is the president of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha in Peringara and an RSS worker. 

The aim of the RSS-BJP is to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere prevalent in the state and to try and check the growth of the CPI(M) by resorting to violence.  These machinations will not be allowed to succeed.

The CPI(M) demands that the RSS-BJP put a stop forthwith to such violent attacks.

IN a brutal attack in Pathanamthitta district, Comrade P B Sandeep Kumar, a CPI(M) leader was stabbed to death on December 2nd. Comrade Sandeep Kumar was secretary of Perigara local committee in Thiruvalla area. He became another victim of RSS brutality.

Five armed criminals obstructed him near his home in Chathankeri and stabbed him to death at 8 pm. He succumbed to his injuries before he could be taken to the hospital. He was 36 years old and is survived by his wife Sunitha and two children, aged three and a half years, and another just three months young.

The culprits were nabbed by police on December 3rd morning from a house in Karuvatta, Alappuzha. Four of them were nabbed by the police, the fifth person, who the police believe was part of the gang is still absconding. 

Peringara is a place where no political tensions have happened so far. This is an attempt to terrorise the people as many of the BJP cadres left the party and became the sympathisers of the CPI(M). Comrade Sandeep Kumar was a member of Peringara grama panchayat in the previous term.  LDF won the grama panchayat elections in 2015 after a gap of 27 years and Sandeep, a popular local leader of CPI(M), played a major role in this victory. Then he became the local secretary of the Party, and was re-elected in the recently concluded conference.

In a strongly-worded statement, CPI(M) state secretariat demanded a detailed probe to unveil the conspiracy which led to the incident. The killing of a young leader is shocking. By killing CPI(M) cadres, RSS is trying to terrorise the people and disrupt the peace in the state. 

CPI(M) state secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, demanded a comprehensive enquiry into the brutal killing of Comrade P B Sandip. He said the BJP keeps on spreading rumours and are making baseless allegations about this killing in order to divert in the investigation as the involvement of their cadres is undoubtedly visible in this heinous crime. RSS has never admitted their connection in the killing spree of the opponents.  When Congress goons killed two CPI(M) workers in Venjaramood in Thiruvananthapuram last year, it was portrayed as an offshoot of a gang war. This kind of campaign was unleashed as and when a CPI(M) worker is killed.  

Opponents are trying to destroy CPI(M) by killing its cadres but they will not succeed. CPI(M) stands for a peaceful atmosphere in the state. But this is not our weakness. We will oppose this attack with people’s mobilisation, he asserted.  

All baseless campaigns of BJP will boomerang against them. He said after visiting the bereaved family of Comrade Sandeep.  

Kodiyeri assured that the Party will protect the family of Comrade Sandeep. The expense of children will be the responsibility of the Party.