After New Delhi, the showdown between the CPI(M) and the RSS in Kerala's Kannur had its fall-out in Pune when RSS activists on Wednesday attacked the Marxist party office, leaving three CP1-M men injured.

Around a dozen activists of Hindugarjana Pratishthan, a front organisation of RSS, attacked the party's office in the heart of Pune.

A spokesman of Hindugarjana Dheeraj Ghate, when contacted by PTI, accepted the responsibility for the attack saying, "It was a natural reaction to the killing of RSS workers in Kerala [Images] recently."

According to police, the Hindutva activists tried to barge into the CPI(M) office on the third floor in Narayan Peth area when they were confronted by the Left party's orkers on the staircase of the building. This led to the scuffle in which three CPI-M activists were injured.

CPI-M city unit spokesman Ajit Abhyankar said one of their comrades suffered serious head injuries.

Abhyankar, who has lodged an FIR with police, said the attack was pre-planned and demonstrated the "defeatist" attitude of the Sangh arivar frustrated over the strengthening of secular forces represented by the Communist party.

He also refuted the connection between today's attack and the Kannur episode of Kerala as claimed by Hindugarjana.

The police said they were in the process of identifying the attackers and arresting them. A police source said they were caught unaware by the attackers who had tipped off a television channel before the incident.

The police said only CPI-M office sign board was removed and there was no damage done to furniture as the altercation took place in the staircase.

Saffron activists had attacked the CPI-M headquarters in New Delhi ast month when a meeting of top leaders of the Marxist party was on.