DYFI Targets Cong for Including Dheeraj Murder Case Accused in Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rajendran was stabbed to death at the Idukki Engineering College allegedly by KSU activists including Nikhil Paily.

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra commenced its 19-day long Kerala leg on Sunday morning from Parassala area of the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Friday, 16 September, lashed out at the Congress party for allegedly allowing Nikhil Paily, the prime accused in the Dheeraj Rajendran murder case, to be a part of its ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

DYFI state Secretary VK Sanoj said the Congress allowed Paily to be a part of the foot march to insult the family of 21-year old Rajendran, who was stabbed to death on 10 January at the Idukki Engineering College allegedly by KSU activists including Paily.

"The Congress party has been insulting the family of Dheeraj for some time. The first accused in the Dheeraj murder case Nikhil Paily, who is currently on bail was made part of the foot march is another way of insulting Dheeraj's family," Sanoj said in a statement.

'Rahul Gandhi Should Explain': Sanoj

He asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whether the foot march was to create acceptance to the murder accused.

"The Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi should explain what message they were trying to send out by allowing a criminal, who murdered a student activist, to become a part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," the DYFI said.

Paily joined the foot march recently and had shared his pictures during the Yatra on social media.

Kerala Pradesh Mahila Congress state secretary Bindhu Chandra V had also shared a picture of hers with Paily as part of the Yatra.

However, the Congress leadership was yet to react to the criticism by DYFI.

Dheeraj Rajendran, an activist of its student wing SFI, was stabbed to death on 10 January at Idukki Engineering college allegedly by KSU activists.

Paily, a district-level leader of the Youth Congress and Jerin Jijo were arrested for stabbing Rajendran, a student of the college, to death.

Two other students, Abjijith and Amal, were also seriously injured in the attack.

In the First Information Report (FIR), the police have mentioned that the murder took place due to political rivalry.