Sangh Parivar cries foul over Kerala violence

Jaitley to visit homes of killed RSS worker, BJP members on Sunday

With Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley scheduled to visit on Sunday the home of the recently killed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker in Kerala, the larger Sangh Parivar is upping the ante on political violence in the state.

On Thursday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani said the law and order system in Kerala had broken down and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led government was not taking action against the killers of the RSS worker, as it was “politically beneficial”.

RSS member Rajesh, 34, was hacked to death in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night.

BJP General Secretary Bhupender Yadav said 17 Sangh Parivar workers have been killed in the past 17 months in political violence in Kerala. The CPI (M) has denied allegations that its cadres murdered Rajesh.

RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale is scheduled to brief the national press on the issue of “communist violence in Kerala” in New Delhi on Friday. Jaitley is also scheduled to visit the homes of other BJP workers who have been attacked.

On Sunday, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam had summoned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the law and order situation in the state. Vijayan later held a meeting with BJP and RSS leaders and appealed for peace.

Yadav said Kerala police was not taking action against the perpetrators of these crimes.

The BJP had held its national council meeting in Kozhikode, last year. The issue of “political violence” in the state had been raised during the meeting by senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.