NEW DELHI: The BJP will hold a mirror-image fortnight-long protest during October 3-16 in the national capital and Kerala against alleged political violence in God's own country. Scores of Union Ministers have been lined up to take part in the Padyatra to be held in Kerala and day-long sit-ins at Jantar Mantar in the national capital during the course of the agitation.
The party as part of the strategy to demonstrate its strength in Kerala has asked all affiliate wings to ensure that their activists descend in the southern state each day during the course of agitation.
“Each wing of the BJP, which includes the fronts for youth, women, SCs and STs, farmers, has been directed to ensure a minimum of 100 workers each to join the Padyatra in Kerala on a daily basis. Thus, there will be about a thousand BJP activists coming from all parts of the country every day during October 3-16 to Kerala to take part in the agitation,” said a senior BJP functionary, who added that the party chief Amit Shah has overseen the preparations for the agitation against Left violence in the state.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon the party during his concluding address to the national executive to sensitise people across the country about the political violence allegedly perpetrated by the Left parties in Kerala.
“In a bid to give effect to the directions of the Prime Minister, scores of Union Ministers, besides the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the NDA ruled states, will take part in Kerala and the sit-ins at Jantar Mantar. Leaders and workers after taking part in Padyatra in Kerala will join the sit-ins at the Jantar Mantar to share their experiences,” added the BJP functionary.
The RSS is also bracing to swell the strength of the BJP campaign in Kerala and elsewhere by asking all its 40 affiliates to instruct their respective members to join the campaigns against the alleged political violence in the Left-ruled state.
The BJP leaders said that the plan is afoot to ensure that the Prime Minister addresses the concluding day of the protest either in Kerala or in the national capital. The BJP is banking on intense campaigns in Kerala to help the party spread footprints beyond the traditional catchment areas to help the party get additional seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.