Kerala governor P Sathasivam seeks report from Pinarayi Vijayan govt over alleged killing of BJP-RSS workers

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala governor P Sathasivam on Tuesday sought a report from the state government on a petition by BJP seeking steps to stop attacks on its cadres by “ruling CPM” workers. [caption id=“attachment_4276371” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Kerala Governor P Sathasivam. rajbhavan.kerala.gov.in[/caption] Sathasivam sought the report soon after the petition was submitted to him by a BJP delegation led by party state president Kummanom Rajasekharan at the Raj Bhavan here, alleging attacks against the party workers by the CPM. “The governor has forwarded the petition to the chief minister for appropriate consideration and sought a report on the issues raised in it”, a Raj Bhavan release said. The petition alleged the CPM had changed its “strategy from murder to inflicting near fatal and grievous injuries”. It further stated that the “unilateral and unabated” attacks on BJP-RSS workers had rendered the peace initiatives (taken up earlier) ineffective, the release said. The petition requested adequate and effective precautionary measures to prevent violence and also sought removal of police officers “with political connections” from law and order duty. The release also said the state police chief Loknath Behra was summoned and he briefed the governor on Monday on the law and order situation in the state, the release said. Talking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Rajasekharan said the party approached him as “no purpose would be served” if a complaint on the matter was lodged with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He alleged that 15 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in attacks after the LDF came to power last year. Rajasekharan said his party extended full cooperation to maintain peace at a meeting convened by the chief minister some months ago but the ruling party was “continuing its attacks”. BJP has been raising the issue of attacks on its cadres strongly and party chief Amit Shah had in October hit out at the LDF government over the political violence. Addressing the party workers at the conclusion of a padayatra here to highlight the ‘Left’s atrocities’ in Kerala, Shah had asked Vijayan whether he was prepared to take moral responsiblity for the killing of “innocent” BJP/RSS workers.