Kasaragod: The Congress was left red-faced after the party's Periya mandalam president attended the wedding reception of the son of an accused in the Periya double murder case.
In a statement, the District Congress Committee said Periya Congress Mandalam president Pramod Periya has been removed from the post on the direction of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
CPM's former Periya local secretary N Balakrishnan is named the 13th accused in the murder of Youth Congress workers P K Sarathlal and Kripesh. He is among the few of the 24 accused who got bail in the case.
Balakrishnan's son got married in Payyannur and then on Tuesday, May 7, the new couple organised a reception in Periya.
After the reception, a photograph of Pramod Periya, flanked by Balakrishnan and the groom, started doing the rounds on social media. Former Udma MLA and CPM leader K Kunhiraman was also in the photograph.
According to Congress sources, the party sought an explanation from Pramod Periya. They said Pramod downplayed him attending the reception, saying he was invited by Balakrishnan's brother, who was his tenant. Pramod also reportedly told the party that several other Congress workers from Periya attended the reception.
The Congress suspended him and handed over the responsibility to Congress Block Committee president K V Bhakthavalsalan.