BJP president Amit Shah rejoined the high-pitched 'Janaraksha Yatra' in Thiruvananthapuram, organised to protest the political violence allegedly unleashed by the CPI(M) on BJP cadre, on Tuesday, 17 October, on the last leg of the two-week campaign.
Addressing the rally, Shah pointed out the recent killings of BJP-RSS workers in the state, and asked if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would take moral responsibility for the deaths.
Slamming Vijayan, Shah asked the Chief Minister whether the mandate given by the people was to "eliminate" innocent BJP-RSS workers.
Stating that attacks against BJP-RSS workers had increased whenever the marxist party came to power in Kerala, Shah said 30 party workers were killed when LDF was heading the state between 1996 and 2001, and 28 workers were killed between 2006 to 2011.
The BJP president said it was "shameful" on the part of the Chief Minister to appoint a CPI(M) party worker, accused of killing of a BJP worker, as party block secretary.
He said the Chief Minister should focus more on competing with the BJP on grounds of development and alleviation of poverty.
Shah also took a swipe at the Congress, saying the party was “finished” in the country due to alleged corruption and “family rule.”
Shah also said the government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi never discriminated between states when sanctioning funds on the basis of political affiliations.
While the 13th Finance Commission during UPA-1 sanctioned Rs 45,395 crore for the state, the 14th Finance Commission of Modi government sanctioned Rs 1.13 lakh crore, Shah said.
Bringing the rally to an end, Shah thanked hundreds of supporters who had gathered to join the march from Pattom to the Puthrikandam maidan. Shah also paid tributes to party workers who had lost their lives in political violence before addressing the public meeting.
The padyatra, flagged-off by Shah on 3 October from Kannur, the northern district of the state with a history of clashes between CPI(M) and BJP-RSS workers, was to highlight the 'Left's atrocities' in Kerala under the LDF government.
The padayatra had criss-crossed 11 districts in the state with four Chief Ministers, including Yogi Aditiyanath of Uttar Pradesh, senior party leaders, and Union Ministers taking part in the high-pitched campaign against the ruling LDF.
Shah had left the yatra mid way on 4 October and headed back to New Delhi. According to The Telegraph, BJP leaders came up with several reasons for Shah's early departure, but officially maintained silence.
The party leaders said Shah stayed back for some "urgent work" in Delhi, pointing to a meeting the next afternoon at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence along with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, The Telegraph reported.
The BJP lashed out at the CPI(M) over the political violence in Kerala, alleging that their party cadres were attacked and killed by Left workers.
The CPI(M) rejected the charges and said that BJP-RSS activists attacked its workers instead. The CPI(M) said the BJP was attempting to create tension in the state by unleashing violence.
(With inputs from PTI)
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