Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran has called for a Statewide protest on September 3 to condemn the widespread attacks on Congress offices by Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers in the wake of the murder of two Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists at Venjaramoodu here late Saturday.

The KPCC has positioned the sit-in agitation planned for Thursday as a propaganda counter to the ‘black day’ observed by the CPI(M) on Wednesday to protest against the murder of its party activists allegedly by Congress workers.

Houses attacked

Mr. Ramachandran said workers of the CPI(M) and the DYFI targeted the houses of Congress workers. They attacked offices and destroyed party symbols and flags. The police remained a mute witness to the organised violence, which resulted in damage to 142 premises, he said.

In Thiruvananthapuram, unknown persons vandalised the house of G. Leena, former State secretary of the Youth Congress. Mr. Ramachandran and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala visited the house.

Mr Chennithala said the Congress did not believe in tit-for-tat violence. It would fight the CPI(M) electorally. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemned the attacks. In Kannur, G. Sudhakaran, MP, said the CPI(M) should not take the non-violence of the Congress as a sign of weakness.

The spree of attacks commenced with the firebombing of a Congress office at Nadapuram in Kozhikode on Tuesday.

The police said unknown persons destroyed Congress symbols, cut-outs and flags placed on the roadside in Kannur and Kozhikode.

The miscreants appeared to have chosen party offices on busy thoroughfares for the attack to make a leisurely getaway. Most of the attacks occurred at night and during the early hours. No major injuries or causalities were reported.

War of words

The political temperature in the State shot up on Wednesday with the CPI(M) squarely blaming the Congress leadership for the double murder. The Congress hit back, stating that internecine feuding in the DYFI had ended in the street killings. The issue had also caused a heated war of words between Congress and CPI(M) leaders.

The police said they continued to remain vigilant in localities that had witnessed political violence in the past given the impending Congress protests on Thursday.