At the house of a BJP worker in Thiruvananthapuram. PTI Photo
BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday said the ruling CPM should not be under the illusion that the growth of his party in Kerala can be suppressed by violence. Laying foundation stone for a party state headquarters here, Shah said the increase in attacks on BJP would lead to “the blooming of more lotuses in the state”.
Shah was on a three-day visit to Kerala as part of his nationwide tour to strengthen the party for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. His Kerala leg saw protests against the Centre’s notification on cattle trade rules.
But, Shah did not refer to the issue in his speeches. Shah said the start of construction of the party office marked the laying of the foundation of the BJP government in Kerala. “It has become difficult for BJP to carry out activities in Kerala. But CPM should not think that they can suppress the party’s growth by resorting to violent tactics,’’ he said, adding that BJP would do everything to ensure that those who attacked its workers got maximum punishment under the law.
He added: “In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP would get a good number of seats in Kerala. Peace-loving people of Kerala would reject the violent politics of CPM. The BJP-led NDA would form the government, ending the alternative rule by CPM and Congress.’’
