Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah attacked the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in Kerala on Tuesday. Shah led the Jana Raksha Yatra in Thiruvananthapuram on the concluding day of the party’s campaign. The two-week-long rally, which kicked off on October 3 in Kannur, was in protest against the political violence, that the BJP claims is perpetrated by the workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Union minister KJ Alphons also participated in the march.
“Over two lakh people participated in the Jana Raksha Yatra,” Shah said while addressing BJP workers after the march. “Did the people of Kerala vote for the CPI(M) government so that violence against party workers be committed? Will Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan take the moral responsibility of the BJP and the RSS workers being killed by the CPI(M)?”
Vijayan was “scared” after seeing the massive support that the Jana Raksha Yatra had received, the BJP president said.
A number of BJP leaders, union ministers and BJP chief ministers, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, have participated in the yatra at different stages.
Kannur has been the hotbed of political clashes in Kerala. Though official data on political killings across the state is not available publicly so far, police data obtained by 101reporters.com through a Right to Information request shows that in Kannur both the BJP-RSS and the CPI(M) have lost almost 30 workers each between 2000 and 2016.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!