BJP to Kerala CM: Stop CPM violence

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad with Karthik K. Rahul, a Class 2 student who was allegedly injured by a group of assailants, in Kannur district, Kerala. (Photo: PTI)

Strongly condemning attacks on its workers allegedly by CPI-M cadres in various parts of Kerala, BJP on Thursday demanded chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take steps to stop the violence and bring “peace and amity”.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, who spoke in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi respectively, said this kind of political violence cannot be tolerated and put the onus on Vijayan to stop it.

Inaugurating “Janakeeya sadas”, a gathering of BJP activists and their family members attacked in Pinarayi in Kannur district after the May 16 Assembly poll results were out, Mr Prasad said BJP believed in peace and non-violence.

Speaking at the event in Thiruvananthapuram, he said 11 crore workers of BJP across the country, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the local level “mandal karyakarthas”, were solidly behind the people of Kerala and the party workers.

“Let me say very clearly, openly and categorically that 11 crore members of BJP are standing behind the people of Kerala and the BJP workers in the state. This kind of violence cannot be tolerated and it is unacceptable. BJP believes in peace, non-violence and in democracy,” he said.

In Kochi, Ram Madhav, talking to reporters, urged Vijayan to “control” his cadres, saying he has the constitutional duty to ens-ure law and order.

All those who were not thinking in line with the CPI(M) were “victims” of the violence “perpetrated by its cadres”, he said adding “our people have suffered enormously at the hands of the Marxist terror and Marxist violence.”

Apparently faulting the chief minister for not taking action to check violence, Mr Prasad said, “Mr Pinarayi, I would like to appeal to you...This kind of violence cannot be accepted. The police is with you now. It must be stopped.”

Referring to the post-poll attacks on party workers, Mr Prasad said BJP had got every right to work anywhere in the country, including in Kerala.

“Why I am saying that BJP has got every right to grow in Kerala Today if we have got 15 per cent of votes and we got one leader elected (in Assembly polls), the opening has been made. And the future of Kerala belongs to BJP,” he said.