Delhi BJP takes out 'padyatra' against political violence in Kerala

New Delhi: Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Vijay Goel along with other BJP leaders marched here today to protest the CPI(M)'s alleged targeting of party workers in Kerala.

BJP president Amit Shah had yesterday flagged off a 'Jan Raksha Yatra' in Kerala and had announced that a 'padyatra' will be held in all the state capitals from today over the issue of political violence in Kerala.

The violence by the Left in Kerala is a "blot on Indian democracy", Singh said, while taking part in the protest.

The violence is not only against the BJP but also against other political parties that believe in democracy, Singh said.

Several BJP leaders and party workers, including the two ministers, city unit president Manoj Tiwari, Shahnawaj Hussain, Vijender Goel, marched from the Delhi BJP office towards CPI(M) office at the Bhai Veer Singh Marg.

They were stopped close to the Left party's office at a police barricade.

Singh claimed that the BJP protest was aimed at preserving the Gandhian principle of non-violence, democratic values, the country's culture.

He also urged other political parties to pay heed to the violence allegedly perpetrated by "the Communists in Kerala".

"Other parties should not be under the illusion that violence in Kerala affects only the BJP because its a blot and a curse on Indian democracy," Singh said.

"BJP has accepted this challenge to restore the Gandhian ideal of non-violence because violence could not be a means to further political goals," he said.

Goel too hit out at the Kerala government and also blamed the local police for the violence against BJP-RSS workers.

"No justice can be expected in a state where a section of police maintains that they are Communists. It cannot be allowed to continue," he said.
The BJP chief is also likely to attend a protest march by the party at the CPI(M) office here on October 8, party sources said.

As many as 120 BJP workers have been killed in Kerala, the BJP has alleged.

The CPI(M) has, in turn, accused the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of resorting to violence and denied the involvement of its government and leadership in the political killings.