Amit Shah issues war cry as BJP’s Kerala yatra ends

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 18: The Janaraksha Yatra launched by BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan, to focus attention on ‘red and jihadi terror’ in the State, drew to a close here on Tuesday with BJP president Amit Shah issuing a war cry against the CPI(M).

Addressing a public rally to mark the conclusion of the march here, Mr. Shah asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to explain why 14 BJP workers were killed in the State after his government came to power. If the Congress at the national level was imploding under the impact of ‘corruption and family rule’, the CPI(M) in Kerala would cease to exist due to its obsession with politics of violence, the BJP president said.

Mr. Shah said the yatra had rattled Mr. Vijayan. He should take the moral responsibility for killing Sangh Parivar workers in his home district Kannur, Mr. Shah said. The slogan of the yatra seems to be justified since the CPI(M) has elected an accused in a murder case at Kanjikode as its local committee secretary. Along with the yatra in Kerala, the BJP had organised protests in all State capitals, including New Delhi. Mr. Vijayan had said that the yatra was organised to divert public attention from the development initiatives taken up by the State government. The BJP and the Centre are ready for a debate on development. Mr. Vijayan should clarify whether he is willing to take up the debate, Mr. Shah said.

Mr. Rajasekharan said the CPI(M) had lost its moral ground to educate the BJP on the lessons of democracy and the politics of the State would hereafter be known as one before and after the yatra. Union Ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Pon Radhakrishnan; national general secretary Ram Lal, and BDJS president Thushar Vellappally also spoke.