Kasaragod: The Congress has blamed the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the killing of two of its workers in Kerala’s Kasaragod district and called for a state-wide bandh on Monday.

Sarath Lal (21) and Kripesh (19) — two Youth Congress workers — were hacked to death on February 17 when they were returning on a two-wheeler from a function. According to reports, a car-borne gang attacked them at Periya near Kasaragod.

While Kripesh died on the spot, Lal succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

The assailants are yet to be identified.

Rahul Gandhi, the Congress president, took to Twitter to extend his condolences to the victims' families

The Congress, blaming the CPI(M) for the attack, called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district.

Ramesh Chennithala, the leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, tweeted, “The thirst for blood never quench for the CPM. Two tender lives have been snatched away by the CPM goons again in the town of Kasaragod.”

Meanwhile, CPI(M) district secretary MV Balakrishnan Master dismissed such allegations and said, “We strongly condemn this murder. We are against murderous politics. We don’t have any role in this.”

According to police, the murder was the result of a fight between the Congress and CPI(M) workers in Periya. The CPI(M) Periya branch secretary and two party workers were injured in the tussle, which took place a few days ago.