A group of unidentified men, suspected to be Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) activists, vandalised the office of the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) here on Tuesday.
The attack was believed to be apparent retaliation for the >killing of RSS functionary Elanthottathil Manoj, who was hacked to death in an attack allegedly by CPI (M) workers in Kerala’s Kannur district on Monday.
“A group of 10-12 people stormed the office at 2: 30 p.m. They remained strangely taciturn when we questioned their purpose. Suddenly, they began upturning and smashing glass objects,” said CPI (M) Pune district committee secretary Milind Sahasrabuddhe, who was present at the time of occurrence.
“One of the vandals shouted that this was a reprisal over the Kannur incident,” he said.
“We have booked a case of vandalism and are investigating by examining the CCTV footage. As yet, we know nothing about the perpetrators,” said a senior police officer at the Narayan Peth police station.
Shards of broken glass and wrecked furniture parts lay strewn across the small office in Narayan Peth. Several important documents pertaining to construction workers were splattered with engine oil, said CPI (M) leader Shubha Shamim, remarking that the vandals may have intended to burn them.
Issuing a stern condemnation, senior CPI (M) leader Ajit Abhyankar said it was the handiwork of Sangh activists and demanded that those responsible be brought to book.
Earlier in 2008, three CPI(M) activists were seriously injured when the Pune office was vandalized by nearly 40 persons, allegedly from the Sangh Parivar.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Pune, Girish Bapat, rubbished any involvement of the RSS, remarking that the CPI (M) was always quick to point fingers at the BJP and the Sangh whenever such incidents took place.
“We believe in democracy unlike the Communists who resort to violence to achieve their ends,” said Mr. Bapat.
Censuring the incident, Nationalist Congress Party leader from Pune, Ankush Kakade, said incidents of intolerance were on the rise since change of the government at the Centre.
