THIRUVANTHAPURAM: BJP national president Amit Shah hit out at the CPM on Sunday, saying Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his party were mistaken if they thought the BJP can be overpowered by violent means in Kerala.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the new BJP state headquarters building, he said the lotus will only bloom larger if BJP workers are subjected to violence. He said whenever Left governments have risen to power in Kerala, violence against BJP workers has increased.
Since the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power, 13 BJP and RSS workers have been killed, Amit Shah said.
''A majority of these murders were committed in the chief minister's constituency and in his district. If they believe that the BJP can be overpowered by violence, they are mistaken,'' Shah declared.
The BJP will ensure, through the path of law, that the assailants get the maximum punishment possible, Shah said.
Many BJP workers have sacrificed their lives for the growth of the party, he said. ''Many have laid down their lives, many have left their families and lived like monks in the karyalayas (BJP offices) for its growth. Today, the BJP has grown into a party with 11 crore members,” he said.
BJP Kerala president Kummanam Rajasekharan, O Rajagopal, MLA, and other top state leaders of the BJP were present at the function.