Jaitley calls RSS worker's murder 'most brutal'

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday visited the family of an RSS activist who was murdered by suspected CPI-M workers in Kerala and called it a "most brutal killing".

"Even an enemy country wouldn't do this kind of brutality but a political party did this," Jaitley said after meeting the distraught family members of E. Rajesh, 34, who was hacked to death a week ago.

"Rajesh had 89 wounds on his body. We will not forget this heinous act. I am here to express my solidarity on behalf of our party. The workers of Kerala are not alone, the whole nation is with you," he added.

Jaitley, who drove from the airport to Rajesh's home, met his wife, two children and other family members.

He then addressed a commemorative meeting and said there was a saga of political violence in Kerala.

"Governments are elected to do good for the people," said the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

"But in Kerala the ruling party is perpetrating violence on the people. This type of ideology won't crush our ideology. We have faced such violence through generations."

On a day's visit to Kerala, Jaitley was received at the airport by leaders of the BJP in the state.

Also on Sunday, the CPI-M organised a sit-in protest in front of the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor P. Sathasivam, asking Jaitley to also visit the families of its cadres allegedly killed by BJP and RSS workers.

Anavoor Nagappan, the Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary of the CPI-M, told the media that those on protest included 21 family members of their activists killed in the state from 1980.

"Jaitley should not just restrict his visit to just the RSS worker's home. All these people who are sitting here have lost their near and dear ones to BJP and RSS workers," he said.

Those who joined the protest included state CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and LDF Convenor Vaikom Viswam.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called a meeting of leaders of political parties in Kerala to discuss ways to maintain peace.

--IANS

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