The murder of Students Federation of India activist Dheeraj Rajendran, a seventh semester computer science student, allegedly by Youth Congress activists has apparently taken the shine off the Congress party in Kerala which was trying to refurbish its image after the Assembly polls.
The unfortunate incident that took place at the Idukki Government Engineering College following a conflict during the union elections on Monday came as a shock when Kerala was still reeling from the twin political murders in Alappuzha last month.
The Congress party, which has become aggressive after K. Sudhakaran took charge as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, was moving in style of a semi-cadre setup determined to put the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front government in a spot on various issues in the State.
However, the murder has now left the Congress party with egg on its face, especially when every so often its leaders have been accusing the CPI(M) of its involvement in the unrelenting violence in the State.
The unsavoury statement of Mr. Sudhakaran that “the martyrdom was asked for” and the reaction of the Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed to the murder as “Karma” on Twitter have not only turned controversial but given enough political ammunition for the CPI(M) leadership. No wonder Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his public address in Kozhikode used the opportunity to attack the Congress asking its leaders “where did the culture of piercing the heart come from?”
Congress leaders, irrespective of factional dynamics, were compelled to rally behind Mr. Sudhakaran who is known for his political street fighting capabilities. To a section of the rank and file of the party, the KPCC president’s unregrettable and defiant attitude, unlike the past, appeared to have attracted them to toe his line to take on the CPI(M) politically.
But the justification of the Congress party for trying to emulate the competitive politics often practised by the CPI(M) has earned a bad press in recent times.
The newly adopted belligerent style of the Congress party saw its workers vandalising actor Joju George’s car amid a protest over fuel price hike on the busy national highway in Kochi recently.
