This Article is From Oct 13, 2016

Day After BJP Activist's Murder, Party Calls For Shutdown In Kerala

Day After BJP Activist's Murder, Party Calls For Shutdown In Kerala

A BJP worker was killed in Kerala's Kannur district, in Dharmadom - Pinarayi Vijayan's constituency.

Kannur: A day after a BJP worker was hacked to death in Kerala's Kannur, the BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh (strike) in the state.

Ramith, 19, was hacked to death in Kannur on Wednesday, in what is suspected to be revenge killing two days after a worker of the ruling CPM was murdered in the same district.

In the early hours of the strike, buses, autorickshaws stayed off the roads and the situation was largely peaceful in most parts of the state. There is heavy police patrolling in the politically sensitive Kannur district.

Ramith's body will be brought to Kannur today from Kozhikode for the cremation.

The BJP has alleged the role of the CPM in the killing of its activist at a village in Dharmadom, which is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's constituency. Ramith was pulled out of a car and killed, say sources.

Denying allegation, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury hit back saying, "This atmosphere of violence is being created by the BJP and RSS in Kannur district. The violence has been started by the RSS and to blame the CPI(M) is total fabrication."

On Monday, 52-year-old CPM worker Mohanan K was attacked at his toddy shop in a busy market and hacked to death by four-five men. The CPM alleges that BJP workers were involved in the incident.

This is the second strike in Kannur within three days as the CPI(M) had observed one in protest against the murder of their worker.

Kannur has witnessed a string of attacks on political workers since the Left government came to power in May. Over 300 cases of political violence have been reported in the district in the past five months.

The opposition has accused the government of not acting against the growing political violence.
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