The early morning visuals from Thiruvananthapuram’s Sreekaryam after a bandh call was announced by BJP. (Source: ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party called for a statewide shutdown in Kerala on Sunday to protest against the killing of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker allegedly by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Eight suspects have been detained and taken into custody in connection with the case.
The worker, identified as 34-year-old E Rajesh, died in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram after he was brutally attacked by four suspected youth wing activists of the CPI-M. Rajesh suffered serious injuries to his face, hands and legs. His left palm was also severed and thrown away, according to the state unit of BJP.
State BJP President Kummanem Rajasekheran, who visited the hospital, told reporters that this was a result of state-sponsored violence. “The CPI-M led government has become a mute witness to the violence going on in the state capital district. Even our state party headquarters was attacked. But we exercised restraint. But now, we are left with no other option but to call for a statewide shutdown tomorrow (Sunday) to protest the killing (of Rajesh). The state government has not even called for a peace talk to resolve issues,” Rajasekheran said last night according to IANS.
CPI(M)M has, however, refuted the charges. “There were some local issues in the area and in this incident, the CPI-M has no role,” Thiruvananthapuram district CPI-M Secretary Anavoor Nagappan said in a statement last night.
The total shutdown called by BJP has resulted in trouble for the people. People who reached railway stations unaware of the hartal had difficulty in getting vehicles to reach their homes.
Thiruvananthapuram has been witnessing a spate of violent clashes in the last two weeks with both the party workers clashing with each other every now and then. The attack on Saturday night comes days after the BJP state committee office was attacked by a group of CPI(M) workers. Post this, the residence of the son of CPI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was stoned. The police is maintaining a strict vigil in the area.
(With inputs from IANS)
