Congress leader P C Vishnunath said CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and his party are trying to increase the number of martyrs by politicising incidents.

The leader said this while mentioning the incident of Muhammed Basheer, a CPM activist who was stabbed to death at Chithara in Kollam. A person stabbed to death following a verbal dispute is unfortunate. Instead of consoling the family, Kodiyeri and his party are trying to politicise the issue, alleged Vishnunath.

Unnatural deaths cannot be justified and blood stained hands should be punished, he said. The statement of Kodiyeri that Chithara murder was a reprisal for Periya twin murder shows the failure of his standard.