Kannur: To keep the heat on the Left government in Kerala over killings of BJP and RSS workers, the BJP will hold a "mega roadshow" after Onam to be attended by top leaders including President Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states.
After the killing of RSS office-bearer E Rajesh on July 29 in Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP has stepped up its attack on the Left Front government, accusing it of escalating political violence in the state aimed at crushing the BJP and RSS.
The roadshow will begin from Kannur and proceed to Thiruvananthapuram early next month.
"After Onam, our Kerala President Kummanam Rajashekaran will begin a 460-km 'Padyatra' from Kannur, probably on September 8, that will culminate at Thiruvananthapuram after covering 10 districts," a BJP leader here told IANS.
"We are giving final shape to the programme but it is sure that Amit Shah will flag off the yatra and address a huge gathering at its culmination," he added.
Apart from senior union ministers including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states will join and address the yatra.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already visited Thiruvananthapuram and met Mr Rajesh's family.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has just one member in the 140-seat Kerala assembly, is also planning to take up the issue of political killings with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as well as the ST and SC Commissions.
"Most of our victims are from the SC, ST and OBC community," BJP's lone legislator O Rajagopalan told a group of journalists from Delhi.
He said the recurring attacks on BJP and RSS activists were a desperate attempt by the Left, particularly the Marxists, to finish off the political opponents.
"They are more desperate now as our influence is growing. They feel their future is bleak. So they want to eliminate all their foes," Mr Rajagopalan said.
Mr Rajagopalan, the senior most BJP leader in Kerala, dismissed the so-called peace talks offered by the state government.
"Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state CPI-M Secretary K. Balakrishnan are themselves accused in the murder of BJP workers. Now, they are in power. What can we expect from them? In public gatherings they preach peace and tolerance but in reality practice the opposite," he said.
The CPI-M, which heads the Left Front, has denied any links with those accused of the July 29 murder who have already been arrested. It also alleges that the RSS and BJP are more involved in violence in Kerala but pretend to be the victims.
After the killing of RSS office-bearer E Rajesh on July 29 in Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP has stepped up its attack on the Left Front government, accusing it of escalating political violence in the state aimed at crushing the BJP and RSS.
The roadshow will begin from Kannur and proceed to Thiruvananthapuram early next month.
"We are giving final shape to the programme but it is sure that Amit Shah will flag off the yatra and address a huge gathering at its culmination," he added.
Advertisement
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already visited Thiruvananthapuram and met Mr Rajesh's family.
Advertisement
"Most of our victims are from the SC, ST and OBC community," BJP's lone legislator O Rajagopalan told a group of journalists from Delhi.
Advertisement
"They are more desperate now as our influence is growing. They feel their future is bleak. So they want to eliminate all their foes," Mr Rajagopalan said.
Advertisement
"Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state CPI-M Secretary K. Balakrishnan are themselves accused in the murder of BJP workers. Now, they are in power. What can we expect from them? In public gatherings they preach peace and tolerance but in reality practice the opposite," he said.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
PM Modi Holds Roadshow On The Busy Guwahati-Shillong Road RSS Activist, Accused Of Murder, Hacked To Death In Kerala UP Election 2017: BJP's Yogi Adityanath Stars In Amit Shah's Big Road Show In Gorakhpur Israeli Jets Strike Yemen Rebels After Deadly Attack On Tel Aviv Woman On Scooter With 2 Kids Punched, Left Bleeding In Pune Road Rage Case The 'Fake' CrowdStrike Worker Who Took Credit For Biggest-Ever IT Outage Donald Trump's Former Physician Shares New Details On Gunshot Wound Israel Strikes Hezbollah Ammunition Depot In Lebanon, 4 Wounded: Report 80 Wounded In Israeli Strikes On Hodeida Port In Yemen: Houthis Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.