Police sources say the murder was retaliatory in nature after a CPM activist was attacked this week.
Six CPM activists have been arrested for the murder of a BJP worker in Kerala's northern district of Kannur. 52-year-old Santosh died in hospital after he was hacked brutally, allegedly by CPM activists while he was alone at his home. His 35-year-old wife and two children have been inconsolable; Santosh, the only bread winner in his family, was the BJP candidate for panchayat elections in Kannur, held last year.
Police sources say the murder was retaliatory in nature after a CPM activist Aril, in his 20s, was attacked earlier this week, allegedly by RSS activists. His hands and legs were broken and is currently hospitalised.
11 political murders have occurred since the CPM-led LDF came to power, the highest since 2008 when 12 party activists - from CPM and BJP both, had been murdered. Two of the instances of political murders since May last year have happened in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's constituency of Dharmadom. But now, the violence has moved beyond Kannur.
In Palakkad, a BJP woman activist died of 70 per cent burns on Monday. Her husband is admitted in hospital with 60 per cent burns, while her brother-in-law died. All were BJP activists and their house was set on fire allegedly by CPM activists.
According to police sources, over 400 political violence cases in Kannur have been reported since May 2016, around 30 per cent increase in comparison to the last three years. Over 600 CPM, around 280 BJP and 52 Congress activists have been arrested since May. 75 country-made bombs have also been seized from political activists in Kannur.
But the political blame game continues.
"It's a breakdown of law and order. Those in control of law and order are committing these crimes. If it goes on like this, there will be only an increase in cases of political violence," BJP legislator O Rajagopal told NDTV.
But Kannur CPM District Secretary E Jayarajan says, "It's the RSS aim to end CPM and to create violence. They know they cannot flourish as long as CPM is active. And that's why they conspire attacks against us."