Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Tuesday dared the BJP-RSS to prove its allegation that Kerala was a hotbed of jihadis and anti- national elements. Mr Kodiyeri told reporters at the Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust that the RSS was levelling baseless allegations against Kerala. “On what basis has the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat unleashed such a propaganda against the state? What is the basis of their campaign that Kerala was not safe for Hindus?” he asked.
“Top RSS leaders are living in Kerala. Even RSS leader P. Parameswaran who is celebrating his ninetieth birthday has never stated that Kerala’s soil is unsafe for Hindus. There is a deliberate attempt to paint a wrong picture of the state,” he said and added that Sangh Parivar was targeting Kerala because of the protection that the minorities and their places of workshop enjoy in the state. The RSS and BJP government at the centre are showing intolerance towards the LDF government. “In all national programmes of the RSS and BJP, there is a deliberate attempt to show Kerala in a bad light. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is leading the campaign against Kerala across the country,” he added.
He said the BJP’s Janaraksha Yatra which was flagged off by Mr Amit Shah should be renamed as “Janadroha Yatra’ because of the anti-people policies of the Modi government. The BJP national leaders should tell the people of Kerala as to how many promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls have been fulfilled, he said. On the political murders, Mr Kodiyeri said since 1970, 969 political killings had taken place in Kerala of which 527 victims were CPM workers.
During this period, 185 persons belonging to RSS were also killed. Mr Kodiyeri alleged that of the 527 victims of CPM, 214 were those who were murdered by the RSS. Between 2000 and 2017, the CPM lost 85 workers while the BJP-RSS lost 65. After the Pinaryi Vijayan government came to power, the CPM lost 13 workers. Instead of indulging in false propaganda, the BJP government should take the initiative for peace, he said.
Shah inciting violence, says Brinda
Launching a counter attack on Mr Amit Shah, CPM leader Brinda Karat said in Delhi that Mr Amit Shah was "deliberately inciting violence" against its leaders and cadres. “We are a recognised national party. We are here not because of Shah but because of the people. We will not tolerate this,” she said. Manufacturing of lies is flourishing under prime minister Narendra Modi and Shah, she alleged.
