KANNUR: The murder of two Youth Congress activists in Kasaragod was a deplorable act, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of the party’s new district committee office in Kasaragod, he said party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had condemned the attack on the very first day making clear the party’s stance on such issues.“The murder was a senseless activity which cannot be justified in any manner,” said the chief minister who reached Kasaragod for the first time after the murder of the youths that has put the CPM on the backfoot.He said the CPM has no obligation to take responsibility for such wrongdoings and the party will in no way protect those involved in the murders . The police have been asked to take strict action and law will take its course, he asserted.At the same time, the attacks that took place in the state following the murders should also be opposed but nobody has been condemning them, said the chief minister, adding that the police would take actions against those who took part in such incidents of violence as well. “Kerala wants peace and we will go forward fighting all kinds of violence,” he said.CPM members have come under attack on numerous occasions but the media have not taken such incidents seriously. But the party is not dependent on them for its reputation as it works for the common man, said Vijayan, who added that the state has topped the chart in maintaining law and order situation.“We bow before the people and say the government wants to maintain its track record in maintaining law and order in future too,” he said.He alleged that the BJP has paid big media houses to attack and destroy the Left movement in Kerala, as it wants its rivals to bite the dust. However, such campaigns against the Left is nothing new and those who attacked the workers of the Left parties have often been portrayed as angels, he said.Though there were rumours that the chief minister would visit the houses of Kripesh and Sarath Lal, who were murdered on the night of February 17 in Periya, the plan was dropped as it was reported that his visit could spark protests.While the chief minister was returning to Kanhangad, KSU and Youth Congress activists waved black flag at him at Poyinachi. Police arrested KSU district president Noyal Tomin Joseph and Youth Congress district vice-president Sreejith Madakkal and removed them from the scene.

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