Thiruuvananthapuram,  Hours after a CPI-M local leader was brutally murdered last night at Palakkad, a war of words broke out between the CPI-M and the BJP over the party affiliations of the murder accused.

While the BJP said the murder was on account of the deep-rooted factionalism that has been raising its head in the local CPI-M party unit at Malampuzha in Palakkad, the CPI-M said the accused are now part and parcel of the RSS/BJP combine as they are booted out of the CPI-M.

40 year old K.Shajahan was hacked by a gang that came on motorbikes around 9.30 p.m. The attack took place near Shajahan's house.

Suresh a local resident of where the gruesome incident took place and an eyewitness to the entire crime said they were all gathered and talking of what all should be done on the Independence Day, a group of people came and created a scare.

"There were eight people who came and were drunk. An altercation broke out over subscribing to the CPI-M party organ- aDeshabhimani' between those who came and Shajahan. It was Sabari, who first attacked him with a sword and then Anish- two times used his sword and Shajahan dropped dead. All of them had weapons with them, but only these two used it. Both Sabari and Anish are CPI-M workers," said Suresh, who said they tried to attack him too, but his son scared them away and they left.

The police have started a probe and even though they have not taken anyone into custody they have identified the eight who were present.

Palakkad district CPI-M secretary E.N.Suresh Babu said the accused have nothing to do with the party as they long back had left the party and these accused are all now part and parcel of the RSS/BJP.

Meanwhile the local BJP leaders said they have no clue of who the killers were and they have no association with the party.

Joining issue was State Congress president K.Sudhakaran who told reporters here that the CPI-M is one unit which will kill anyone.

"The CPI-M party today has more arms than the state government has. Even though we are totally opposed to the BJP, in this crime they have no role," said Sudhakaran.