Thiruvananthapuram: The image of the faction-ridden Congress in Kerala hit its nadir today (June 2, 2004) with the venue of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) executive meeting, called to review the party's rout in the Lok Sabha poll, turning into a scene of a pitched battle forcing the meet to be cancelled.

Former KPCC general secretaries Rajmohan Unnithan and T Saratchandraprasad, who tried to enter the Science and Technology Auditorium where the meeting was to be held, were roughed up by unidentified persons.

Prasad and Unnithan, recently stripped of their party positions for their vituperative attack on senior leader K Karunakaran and his son K Muraleedharan, had come uninvited to the meet.

At the gate of the venue, the van in which they came was smashed and both the leaders were roughed up. The two leaders, who were taken to the Medical College Hospital, alleged that "goondas" engaged by former KPCC chief Muraleedharan were behind the attack.

A visibly upset Chief Minster A K Antony, who came to attend the meeting, left the venue in a huff after the unexpected turn of events.