The Maharashtra unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday said it would take legal action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra and national secretary Sunil Deodhar for maligning the CPI(M)’s image by linking the accused in Palghar lynching to the party.

A statement issued by the CPI(M) State secretary and former MLA, Narsayya Adam, said, “We have begun the process of preparing a list that includes Mr. Patra, Mr. Deodhar, Prakash Gade, the admin of ‘I Devendra’ Facebook page, and other BJP supporters, who are forwarding such posts on WhatsApp groups and Facebook. The CPI(M) has decided to start legal proceedings against all the above-mentioned people for defamation and rumour-mongering.”

It said the BJP leaders claimed that the five people mentioned in the FIR in the lynching case are the members of the CPI(M). “None of them are members of the CPI(M),” it said, adding Mr. Patra and Mr. Deodhar have made statements defaming the CPI(M) without any basis whatsoever.

The party reiterated that Gadachinchle village where the incident occurred has a BJP gram panchayat for the last 10 years and the present Sarpanch is from the BJP. “In this background, to whom are the ringleaders of the killings connected? Who has been spreading rumours in this area for the last several days? These and other matters will become clear in the police investigations. Realising that the situation is turning against them, some people have begun a condemnable attempt on the social media to defame the CPI(M) for no valid reason,” the statement said.

Mr. Deodhar and Mr. Patra had tweeted on Monday claiming the hand of the CPI(M) in the lynching of three people in Palghar.