Union home minister accuses Kerala govt of shielding BJP leader's killers

The Kerala government was attempting to crush the increasing popularity of the BJP in the southern state by resorting to any means including protecting people who were involved in the recent killing of two political leaders, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said on Monday (December 20).

The minister is in Kerala to pay homage to slain BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivas — also the state secretary of the party’s OBC Morcha — who was hacked to death inside his home in Alappuzha on Sunday morning by a group of assailants.

Police had said that it suspected that Sreenivas’ killing was in retaliation for the murder of SDPI state secretary K S Shan two days back.

The Union Minister, speaking to reporters in Kochi, said the law and order situation in Kerala was “bad” and that is why these killings were happening.

“The state government wants, by whatever means, to crush the growing popularity of the BJP and the increase in the public support for it. For this it is protecting those who were involved in the killing and also those persons protecting whom would be disgraceful,” he said.

The minister said he would only ask the state government to ensure all such cases are properly investigated and the culprits are arrested.

The killings led to prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 being imposed in the entire Alappuzha district and an all-party meeting being called.

The all-party meeting would be held on Monday afternoon, according to district officials.

Also read: Twin political murders rock Alappuzha; prohibitory orders for two days

Shan, the state secretary of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), was brutally attacked on Saturday (December 18) night while he was on his way back home. A car rammed into his bike and as he fell down, the assailants inflicted around 40 injuries on him leading to his death, police had said.

Shan succumbed to his injuries at a Kochi hospital around midnight and was buried on Sunday evening.

Hours after Shan’s death, Sreenivas was hacked to death in front of his family by some assailants who barged into his house on Sunday morning. The BJP leader would be cremated during the day.

(With inputs from agencies)