Kerala: BJP to keep cadre on a leash for now

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The  BJP has refrained from retaliation following the murder of its worker  C. E. Santhosh at Dharmadom in Kannur on Wednesday last. The situation was brought under control by the swift action ordered by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to arrest the culprits.  CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and district secretary P. Jayarajan, who insisted that CPM cadres were not involved in the murder,  had to eat their words when six CPM workers were arrested.

BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, RSS prantha kariavah P. Gopalankutty Master, BJP MLA O. Rajagopal and BJP secretary V. V. Rajesh had held talks with the chief minister after the murder and urged him to take stringent action against the attackers. Mr Pinarayi promised to bring the guilty to book and he kept his word. “The Kannur police arrested the CPM workers after Pinarayi  acted tough rather than commenting on the killing,” a former state BJP president told DC. BJP leadership was keen to restore peace and prevent  the violence from  flaring up. A central BJP delegation is expected to arrive in the state soon to take stock of the situation in Kannur.

Killers linked to Kodiyeri, Jayarajan, says BJP

The BJP has alleged that the killers of party worker C. E. Santhosh at Dharmadom in Kannur have close relationship with CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and district secretary P. Jayarajan. Mr M.T. Ramesh, BJP general secretary and Marxist Akrama Virudha Samithi convener,   also demanded the slapping of a case  against Mr Jayarajan for saying that the murder was the result of a family feud and that the CPM had no role in it. He told reporters  at Mararji Bhavan  that the state  government was sponsoring  attacks against the BJP workers.

“There is a silent nod from the home department for the attacks. The government should pay compensation to the murder victim’s family. The decision taken at the all-party meeting to stop killings has been sabotaged,”  said Mr Ramesh. He warned that the people would take to the streets to  protect themselves.  Protest marches would be held across the state under the leadership of Marxist Akrama Virudha Samithi, he said and added that  a dharna would be held coinciding with the martyrs’ day at district centres on January 30.  Later, door-to-door campaigns will be held against the murder politics of the CPM, he said.