Kerala BJP protests outside secretariat against murder of party worker

The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday protested outside the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram against the murder of a party worker in Kannur.

The BJP has called for a bandh in the state to protest against the murder of its activist allegedly by CPI-M members in Pinarayi village in Kannur district. The BJP has also demanded a CBI probe into the murder.

The strike is reported to be peaceful. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere so far. Vehicles have been kept off the roads including Kerala SRTC bus services. Only some private vehicles and two-wheelers are plying. Hospitals, medical stores, milk and newspaper distribution has been exempted from the strike.

The BJP has also accused Kerala's Left Democratic Front government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of unleashing "political terrorism" in Kerala.

Ramith's father was also hacked to death in a similar incident earlier. Reports say that the incident was in retaliation of the recent murder of CPM activist Mohanan.

The two murders occurred within a span of 48 hours and within the limits of Dharmadam Assembly constituency of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The BJP has demanded the Kerala government to hand over the Ramith murder case to CBI for investigation.

In a press statement, BJP president Amit Shah condemned the incident. He also called upon all leaders across political spectrum to condemn it as violence has no place in democratic country.

He said, the repeated occurrence of political violence in Kannur district and in the native village of the State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shows that these are sponsored killings by the Marxist cadres.