'Left terror' in Kerala due to its 'dwindling' support: Kiren Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju said today that the "dwindling" support for the Communists in Kerala has led to alleged "Left terror" and the attacks on BJP workers in the state.

Justifying his move to lead a BJP protest in front of the CPI(M) office here, Rijiju said as a party worker and MP, it was his moral responsibility to stand behind the BJP workers who have been "facing" violence allegedly perpetrated by the Left workers in Kerala.

"The Left in Kerala has been sponsoring and encouraging the attacks on BJP workers. This kind of Left terror must be stopped as violence has no place in a democracy," he told .

Asked whether it was proper for a Union minister to lead a protest, Rijiju said he did not break any police barricade and the entire demonstration was peaceful.

"Peaceful protests are legal means. As a BJP worker, I must stand behind our Kerala brethren," he said.

The minister claimed that the "dwindling" support for the communists in Kerala has led to alleged attacks and violence against BJP workers.

Rijiju led the Delhi leg of the 'Jan Raksha Yatra', an ongoing campaign to highlight the Left's alleged "atrocities" in Kerala. The protest was also attended by Union minister V K Singh.

Police dispersed the protesters using water cannon.

Launching the Delhi leg of the campaign yesterday, BJP chief Amit Shah had alleged that the "politics of violence" was in the nature of communists and asserted that no amount of intimidation could stop the BJP's rise in the state.

Shah had started the 'Jan Raksha Yatra' from Kerala's Kannur district on October 3 as part of the BJP's efforts to expand its base in the Left citadel.

The campaign would conclude on October 17 at Thiruvananthapuram, where a number of senior BJP leaders are likely to be present.