Amit Shah launches Kerala march, attacks CM

Payyannur (Kannur): BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a 15-day “Janaraksha Yatra” in Kerala against “red terror and jihad”, holding CM Pinarayi Vijayan responsible for the murder of saffron party workers in the state.

Mr Shah also promised to hold simultaneous marches in all state capitals to expose the politics of violence pursued by Kerala’s ruling CPI(M).

Speaking at the red citadel of Payyannur in Kannur, the hotbed of political violence, Mr Shah asserted that the attacks on BJP workers will not demoralise them and they will continue to strengthen the saffron party in the southern state. “As many as 13 BJP workers have been killed after the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government came to power,” he said.

“The yatra is the organised protest of all BJP workers in the country. It will make each citizen of Kerala aware of the politics of murder being practised by the CPM,” Mr Shah said.

He warned that the CPI(M) will be exposed at the national level by BJP workers. “Satyagrahas will be staged in all state capitals from Wednesday till October 17,” said the BJP chief.

“Political atrocities are also common in West Bengal, which was once ruled by the CPM, and in Tripura,” Mr Shah alleged.

“It is a field day for the attackers whenever the LDF comes to power in Kerala. More than 120 BJP and RSS men have lost their lives in the state. Of these, 84 people are from the Kerala CM’s district. Pinarayi Vijayan is responsible for these killings,” said Mr Shah.

After the yatra’s launch, Mr Shah marched along with BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan up to Pilathara.

Mr Shah will rejoin the yatra on October 5 at Pinarayi, the chief minister’s home village which hosted the first official meeting of the Communist Party of India in 1939.

The BJP, which has grand plans for Kerala, is showing all its organisational might in the “Janaraksha Yatra” (march for protection of people).