NEW DELHI: Protesting against the alleged killings of the party workers in Kerala, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday slammed the CPI (M) saying that politics of violence is in the nature of the communists.
The BJP chief was addressing the Delhi leg of the ‘Jan Raksha Yatra’, the party’s ongoing campaign to highlight left atrocities in Kerala. He hit out at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging that the maximum killings of BJP and RSS workers have taken place in the latter's home district. He also asserted that no amount of intimidation can stop the lotus (BJP's symbol) from blooming in the Left-ruled state.
“Murders and violence have been a prominent part of communist ideology while for RSS and BJP workers nationalism is the plank of ideology. Since the Left came to power in Kerala, several workers of the BJP and Sangh (RSS) have been killed. It is done to terrorise those who support the BJP that they will meet the same fate. But the more muck of murders they spread, the lotus will bloom better,” Shah said.
Shah was leading a march from central Delhi's Connaught Place to the CPI(M) headquarters in the Gole Market area, a distance of about 1.5 kms. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, Union Tourism minister Alphons Kannanthanam and the party's Lok Sabha MPs from the national capital were in tow.
Shah said that CPM should refrain from violence or else RSS & BJP workers will ensure the end of communism using the democratic provisions as their mode of fight. With our democratic demonstrations we will make it impossible for CPM workers to come out of their offices.
Shah had started the 'Jan Raksha Yatra' from Kerala's Kannur district on October 3 and it will conclude on October 17 at Thiruvananthapuram.
Soon after Shah led a march to the CPI(M) office, the communist party criticised the 'Jan Raksha Yatra' saying it was aimed at diverting public attention from the growing discontent against the Modi government.
Terming the BJP’s campaign as a flop show, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said the BJP protest near the office of CPI(M) was unprecedented in Indian democracy and a reflection of ‘tendencies of fascism’ coming to the fore in Indian politics with BJP ruling at the Centre.
Responding to Shah's charge that the Left workers were killing and terrorising BJP and RSS workers in Kerala, Yechury alleged that the Sangh was "responsible for starting political violence" in Kerala.
He said that the BJP president had to flee from Kerala as there was no response from the people. “Here (in Delhi), he just flagged the protest march at Connaught Place but did not arrive at the (protest) meeting venue which is an indication that he himself realises that it is a flop,” Yechury said.