Martyrdom for those killed during bomb making puts Kerala CPM on defensive

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM in Kerala is facing embarrassment over framing two persons, killed while making country bombs, as martyrs and constructing a memorial for them.

CPM workers Shyju and Subeesh died in an explosion in June 2015 at Panoor, Kannur were earlier declared 'martyrs' with a memorial that CPM state secretary M V Govindan is scheduled to inaugurate on Wednesday.

Interestingly, back in 2015, the then CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had stated that those killed in the explosion had no connection with the CPM.

Govindan is now trying to put up a weak defense that the decision to set up the memorial was taken by the Kannur district leadership.

"It is for the party district leadership to give any explanation on the matter as it is a local matter. It is also the party's decision that I should inaugurate it and hence I am doing it," he told reporters.

The CPM district leadership is yet to make any comments on the criticisms surrounding the issue.

Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP allege that CPM's direct links and patronage to political violence and country bomb-making has become 'evident' with the fresh development.

Last month, another person was killed and three more were injured while making country bombs at Panoor. The incident happened just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. This too had put the CPM on the defensive as the deceased and others were said to be CPM-DYFI workers.

Even as the CPM leadership maintained that the party had no links with them, some local leaders of the party visited the house of the deceased.