BJP responsible for violence in Kerala: Yechury

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) general secretary on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being responsible for the growing violence in Kerala, saying that the BJP never manages to expand social base without "murderous attacks and communal polarization".

"What are they protesting against? They are the ones who started this violence in Kerala. They are the ones responsible for the violence in Kerala. That is their history. Without violence, murderous attacks and communal polarization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP have never managed to expand social base. This is totally anti-democratic," Sitaram Yechury told ANI.

He added that the latest rounds of violence are also started by the BJP and RSS.

"That is the recorded fact which people of Kerala have known and therefore their response for the so called march against violence has been a total flop in Kerala and it is a flop here as well. We have never seen in the history of India that a national president of a party is calling for an assault on the headquarters of another national party," Yechury asserted.

He further said that the BJP wants to divert attention from its heinous policies and complete betrayal of the promises they made in the last three years.

"On the economic front, the lives of people are growing more distressful. Politics is not histrionics but it is on issues and how you give answers on those issues," Yechury added.

Meanwhile earlier in the day, BJP chief Amit Shah protested against the alleged killings of his party activists in Kerala with a 'Jan Raksha Yatra' (people's protection march).

The BJP president, while addressing the public, said that the party members are being threatened and lynched since the CPM has come into power in Kerala.

Earlier this week, Shah had kicked off the Jan Raksha Yatra from Payyannur in Kerala.

The party will take out the Jan Raksha Yatra every day from every state capital till October 16.