BJP has been at receiving end of political untouchability in Kerala from other parties: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that in past some years, more than 200 BJP workers had been killed in Kerala.

File photo of PM Modi

Thrissur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that in past some years, more than 200 BJP workers had been killed and murdered due to political reasons in Kerala.

Addressing a public rally here, Modi said, "So many of our Karyakartas have been killed here and that too for political reasons. I have come here to thank all our party leaders and workers," and added, "Saints from Kerala removed social untouchability but in the same Kerala we saw political untouchability by some. BJP has been at the receiving end of political untouchability in Kerala from other parties.

PM Modi was recieved in Kerala by Chief Minister Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

PM @narendramodi arrives in Kochi, being received by Governor of Kerala, Kerala CM and Def Min @manoharparrikar pic.twitter.com/RArmQbD4WS

— PIB India (@PIB_India) December 14, 2015

Earlier, amidst a political row between Congress and Centre, Chandy had today said that the decision to exclude him from the function of unveiling of former CM R Sankar's statue at Kollam by PM Modi was a "painful experience" and an "insult" to people of the state.

Inviting a CM to attend the statue unveiling ceremony and then asking him to keep away is an insult to the people of the state, Chandy said in a Facebook post today.

"PM is coming to the state for the first time after assuming office. R Sankar is a former chief minister and late Congress leader. As per protocol and basic courtesies Kerala chief minister should have been attending the function," he said, as per PTI.

Until his death, Sankar was a Congressman and, during difficult situations, had led the party and protected party interests, he said. "R Sankar is our pride, he was a Congress chief minister and KPCC president," he said. 

"How will a statue unveiling ceremony of a leader who had led the SNDP and SN Trust become the BJP's party programme?," he asked and added that he was happy that "strong reactions have emanated from various quarters against attempts to convert the event into a Sangh Parivar event."

(With PTI inputs)