Alappuzha (Kerala), Oct 31 (IANS)

 The CPI-M has hit out at the Congress for alleging that disgruntled Marxists may be behind the vandalisation of a famed Communist leader's memorial building.

Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan called the Congress allegation "baseless" and "irresponsible".

"The Congress is behind this, and the Congress statement is not acceptable," he said.

The memorial building of P. Krishna Pillai was found vandalised Thursday morning. Pillai was a founder of the Communist movement in the state - and a poet too.

He died in 1948 following a snake bite.

Congress president Ramesh Cheenithala said in Kannur that the memorial was located at a place "where there is a huge following of the CPI-M, and this has happened on account of the deep rooted factionalism in that party".

CPI-M leader and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said: "The statement of the Congress describing the vandalisation as a factional feud is most heinous."

Kerala Home Minister T. Radhakrishnan has set up a special team under an inspector general of police to probe the incident.