Let's fight on development and ideology: Shah's challenge to CPI-M

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at Kerala's Communist Party of India Marxist-led Left Democratic Front government over the political violence in the state, asking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan if he was prepared to take moral responsiblity for the "killing of 13 innocent BJP/RSS workers."

Shah also took a swipe at the Congress, saying the party was "finished" in the country due to alleged corruption and "family rule."

Shah was addressing a massive rally of party workers at the conclusion of the BJP's 15-day long 'Jana Raksha Yatra' in Thiruvananthapuram, organised to highlight the 'Left's atrocities' under the CPIM-led LDF rule.

"I am asking Kerala chief minister, whether he is prepared to take moral responsiblity for the killing of 13 BJP/RSS workers in the state after the LDF government came to power (in May 2016)," said Shah, who took part in the padayatra for a distance of about 2 km along with state president Kummanam Rajasekharan.

"CM saheb, If you want to fight us, let us fight in terms of development and ideology," he said.

"In a short period of time, people of Kerala also will throw away CPI-M from the state, for its politics of violence," the BJP chief said.

Not sparing the Congress, the main opposition in the state, he said "the party was finished in the country due to corruption and family rule."

Slamming Vijayan, Shah asked the chief minister whether the mandate given by people was to "eliminate" innocent BJP-RSS workers.

Stating that attacks against BJP-RSS workers had increased whenever the marxist party came to power in Kerala, Shah said 30 party workers were killed during LDF rule between 1996-2001 and 28 workers during 2006-11.

"Now when it came to power in 2016, in the short period of one-and-half years, 13 RSS-BJP activists have been killed by CPI-M workers," he said.

The BJP leader assured the families of the victims of attacks, allegedly by the CPI-M, that all the accused would be brought to book and the party would always be with the families.

If the marxist party feels that BJP/RSS workers can be eliminated through violence even after 70 years of independence, "they are mistaken," he said.

Shah made it clear that BJP's ideology and its growth in the state cannot be stopped with violence.

He said the yatra was aimed at creating awareness about the "communist sponsored violence and brutality" against BJP-RSS workers in the state.

Shah said it was "shameful" on the part of the chief minister to appoint a CPI-M party worker, accused in a case connected with the killing of a BJP worker, as party block secretary.

This is the first time in the country that a padayatra that covered 140 km, touching 11 districts, has been taken out against political violence, he said.

Not sparing the Congress leaders in Kerala, Shah said former chief minister Oommen Chandy and some of his colleagues were smeared in "solar scam."

However, he alleged that the chief minister was delaying action against the accused even though the judicial commission, set up to probe the scam, had submitted its report.

Shah also said the government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi never discriminated states on the basis of political affiliations in sanctioning funds.

While the 13th Finance Commission during UPA-1 sanctioned Rs 45,395 crore for the state, the 14th Finance Commission of Modi government sanctioned Rs 1.13 lakh crore, Shah said.

Earlier, Shah walked with party workers for about 2 km from the Martyr's column at Palayam to Putharikandam maidan, near the famous Padmanabha swamy temple.

The BJP chief waved and acknowledged greetings from thousands of BJP workers as he joined the yatra being led by state president, Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Shah also paid tributes to party workers who had lost their lives in political violence in the state before addressing the public meeting.

The BJP chief had flagged-off the yatra at Payyannur in Kannur, the northern district of the state with a history of clashes between CPI-M and BJP-RSS workers, on October 3.

The padayatra had criss-crossed 11 districts in the state with four chief ministers, including Yogi Aditiyanath of Uttar Pradesh, senior party leaders and Union ministers taking part in the high-pitched campaign against the ruling LDF.

Representatives of the National Democratic Alliance partners in the state -- Tushar Vellapally of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, Tribal leader C K Janu of Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha, P C Thomas of Kerala Congress-Thomas were among those who attended the public meeting.

Image: BJP chief Amit Shah and BJP Kerala state president Kummanam Rajasekharan wave to the crowd in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI Photo