Kerala rally ends: Shah blasts CPI(M) for political killings; key takeaways

Shah alleged that the 13 BJP and RSS workers were killed after Vijayan govt came to power in May last year

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led statewide protest march in Kerala finally came to an end in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday two weeks after BJP president Amit Shah kicked off the Jan Raksha Yatra in Kerala from the political hotbed of Kannur.

The 'padyatra' was organised by state BJP unit to highlight alleged political killings being carried out in Kerala under the LDF government. The BJP president, while addressing the public, said that the party members are being threatened and lynched since the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has come into power in Kerala.

Shah alleged that the 13 workers were killed after the present government came to power in May last year and 120 BJP workers have been killed since the communists came to power in Kerala. 

The slogan of the yatra was “Jan Raksha Yatra”, which means ‘everyone should live against jihadi terror. The saffron leaders in the state covered almost 140 kilometres in the 14 day-rally.

Here are the key highlights:

‘Has Vijayan has come in power to kill BJP, RSS workers?’

In the concluding address of Jan Raksha Yatra, Shah questioned whether Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come in power to kill BJP and RSS workers.

"If Left parties have ceased to exist in this country, then it is due to political violence. Pinarayi Vijayan ji more you will sling the violent mud, more the lotus will bloom. You can do as much violence you want, but you can't stop BJP's ideology to grow in Kerala,” Shah said.

He asserted that no matter how much the Kerala government tries to corner the BJP, it will not be able to stop its ideology from spreading in the state. "CM saheb, if you want to fight us, let us fight in terms of development and ideology," he said.

Usage of funds: Shah also took the occasion and held Vijayan accountable for the finances bestowed upon the state by the 14th Finance Commission.

"Rs 1 lakh cr finance was given to Kerala by the 14 finance commission. I ask Vijayan to give justification of the usage of the funds," Shah said.

Shah further questioned Vijayan that why is he not instigating action against the culprits of solar scam.

"Vijayan must reply which deal has he cracked with Congress that no action is being taken against the Solar Scam accused," he said.

‘Politics of violence where CPM rules’

Shah said the politics of violence has taken place where the CPM government has ruled. Asking whether Chief Minister Vijayan will take moral responsibility of BJP-RSS workers killing in the state Shah urged the former to compete by brining development and not by brewing violence.

"Be it Kerala or West Bengal or Tripura, political violence has become the political culture of the CPI-M," he said.

"Life can be taken with a bullet, but the bodies of our workers were chopped to pieces to instill fear, even then we aren't scared of sacrifice. We won't revert to violence, unlike the communist party. We do not believe in the politics of violence," Shah added.

No one can eliminate BJP/RSS workers: Shah said if the Marxist party feels that BJP/RSS workers can be eliminated through violence even after 70 years of independence, "they are mistaken” and that “it is not possible.”

“Why have we started this yatra after 70 years of independence? When our party workers work for the benefit of Kerala, they are pushed into the valley of death," he added.

Shah challenged the if Vijayan want to fight them, then he must fight in terms of development and ideology.

Other politicians take on the rally

Adityanath wanted Kerala to learn from UP's record in healthcare and Goa chief minister Manohar Parikkar alleged that Kerala was being ruled by 'rogues', triggering counter remarks from the CPI-M.

V K Singh, at the BJP rally, said, "Wherever the Left-wing governance exists, they resort to such killings to scare people. I am going to Kerala tomorrow to support our party workers there. I hope that with our full efforts, we will succeed in defeating the Leftist governance."

He further raised slogans of Vande Mataram, and said that the protest march would make the public aware of the deeds of the Kerala Government, and the Left-wing.

"Wherever the Left-wing political parties have formed a government, they have always threatened people with murder," Singh addressed the gathering.

He also assured that the protests would be successful in vanquishing the Left-wing.

Kiran Rijiju declared that they would act more and speak less, and added, "The communist party constitutes a major part of anti-national elements."

Accusing the CPM government in Kerala of sponsoring violence in the state, Rijiju said that the policies followed by the state government do not suit a democracy.

With the BJP forming a government in most Indian states, he also claimed that the communist party would soon be "wiped out of Tripura" in the next election.

The padayatra had crisscrossed 11 districts in the state with four chief ministers, including Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, senior party leaders and Union ministers taking part in the high-pitched campaign against the ruling LDF.

The BJP chief waved and acknowledged greetings from thousands of BJP workers as he joined the yatra led by state party president, Kummanam Rajasekharan.

He also paid tributes to party workers who had lost their lives in political violence in the state before addressing the public meeting.

Shah had skipped the march through Pinarayi, the chief minister's hometown, in Kannur district, as he had to rush to Delhi for an important meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shah had walked about seven km from Payyannur to Pilathara in the district during the rally.

Representatives of the NDA partners in the state —Tushar Vellapally of BDJS (Bharat Dharma Jana Sena), Tribal leader C K Janu of Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha, P C Thomas of Kerala Congress (Thomas) were among those who attended the public meeting.