Kochi, Feb 18 (PTI) A Dalit activist of Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam, a political party promoted by a prominent industry group here, died at a hospital in Aluva where he was undergoing treatment following the attack allegedly by CPI(M) workers a week ago, police said here.
C K Deepu had been put on ventilator support at the hospital after he suffered serious head injuries in the alleged attack by the CPI(M) workers last Saturday over a local political dispute, they said.
It was alleged that CPI(M) activists brutally attacked Deepu, a resident of Harijan Colony in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, for participating in “lights-off” protest organised by Twenty20 against the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) last Saturday for allegedly opposing a streetlight challenge organised by it at Kizhakkambalam panchayat to replace old street lamps with new ones.
Kizhakkambalam panchayat is ruled by the Twenty20. The outfit alleged that Kunnathunad MLA P V Sreenijan was behind the KSEB’s intervention in the matter.
Sreenijan, a Left MLA, rejected the allegations that Deepu was a victim of CPI(M) attack. He claimed that Deepu was suffering from liver cirrhosis and that was the cause of death of the Twenty20 activist.
The statement of Sreenijan sparked a row with Twenty20 alleging that Deepu was attacked by the goons sent by the MLA.
Twenty20 activists who gathered in large numbers in the hospital where Deepu’s body is kept raised slogans against the MLA for carrying out a misleading campaign on the matter.
Sreenijan condemned the move to brand him as a culprit, claiming he had no role in it.
CPI(M) has not reacted to the allegations.
Earlier, police had arrested four persons in connection with the attack on Deepu.
Twenty20 was a charity outfit floated by the Anna-Kitex Group group seven years ago. It became a political platform later and won four grama panchayats in the local body polls held in Kerala in 2020. PTI TGB TGB HDA HDA
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