RSS worker hacked in Kerala: BJP's statewide shutdown on Sunday

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a statewide shutdown on Sunday in protest against the killing of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist allegedly by Communist Party of India (CPI-M) loyalists.

The 34-year-old RSS worker, who was hacked on Saturday night in the state capital, breathed his last at a private hospital. The deceased has been identified as E. Rajesh, who was a "Karyavahak" attached to the RSS unit at Sreekariyam near here.

State BJP President Kummanem Rajasekheran, who visited the hospital, told reporters that this was a result of state-sponsored violence.

"The CPI-M led government has become a mute witness to the violence going on in the state capital district. Even our state party headquarters was attacked. But we exercised restraint.

"But now, we are left with no other option but to call for a statewide shutdown tomorrow (Sunday) to protest the killing (of Rajesh). The state government has not even called for a peace talk to resolve issues," Rajasekheran said.

According to the BJP, Rajesh was hacked by four suspected youth wing activists of the CPI-M people, who came on two motorcycles.

He suffered serious injuries in his face, hands and legs, and according to the BJP, his left hand was severed and thrown away.

The killing comes a day after a group of CPI-M workers led by local Councillor I.P. Binu smashed six vehicles parked in the state committee office of the BJP.

After the attack at the BJP headquarters, the residence of the son of CPI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was stoned.

For the past two weeks, an uneasy calm has been prevailing in the capital district, with the activists of the BJP and the CPI-M attacking each other every now and then.

Thiruvananthapuram district CPI-M Secretary Anavoor Nagappan in a statement issued here on Saturday night said that the CPI-M had no role in this incident.

"There were some local issues in the area and in this incident, the CPI-M has no role," Nagappan`s statement read.