Thiruvvananthapuram, Jan 28 (IANS): Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday accused the ruling Left Democratic Front led by CPI-M of stoking communalism in Kerala.

"LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan is trying to fan communalism in the state by bringing up unnecessary issues in the run-up to the Assembly elections. The Left is playing with fire and creating a communal divide in society for votes."

The Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly was responding to CPI-M state Secretary Vijayaraghavan's statement that Congress leaders in the southern state were becoming "subservient" to the Indian Union Muslim League.

Chennithala said that the IUML was the second largest constituent in the opposition United Democratic Front and his party's discussions with the League was not a new phenomenon.

"The same CPI-M is in a political alliance with the Muslim League in Tamil Nadu. The Left party has always shown political duplicity for many years. CPI-M leaders, including Vijayaraghavan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should understand that they remain straight in their political approach."

The opposition leader also lashed out at the CPI-M over the killing of IUML worker Mohammed Sameer at Pandikaadavu in Malappuram and said that the CPM was "deliberately trying to create an atmosphere of political violence and communal divide" in the state.

"The planned killing was deliberate and the CPI-M cadres had been targeting Sameer and other IUML cadres ever since the local body polls in which the Left got a drubbing in Malappuram district," Chennithala claimed.