BJP delegation meets Prez over Kerala violence; Yechury hits out at saffron outfits

New Delhi, May 22

Clashes between cadres of the BJP and CPI-M in Kerala after the Left victory found its echo in the National Capital with a BJP team seeking President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention while workers of the rival parties scuffled outside CPI(M) office and 600 people were detained.

Hitting back, the CPI(M) blamed the BJP and RSS for the violence in Kerala, alleging that their workers had attacked the victory processions of Left leaders as the saffron outfits were not willing to accept the people’s verdict.

BJP workers broke police barriers and damaged CPI-M’s signboard outside its office here in protest against the murder of a party activist allegedly by supporters of the Left party during a poll victory rally in Kerala.

Several police teams were deployed and a four-tier security arrangement was made around the CPI(M) office in New Delhi’s Gole Market area this morning.

CPI(M) workers had also come out of the building to confront the protesters and a minor scuffle broke out when a group of BJP workers broke police barriers and damaged the signboard at the CPI(M) office.

The groups were separated by the police and no injuries were reported, the police maintained.

“Around 600 people have been detained under provisions of law and the situation is under control,” DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who led the BJP delegation, told reporters after meeting the President that BJP and RSS workers were facing “atrocities” from the CPI(M), which led the LDF that won the Assembly poll in the state.

He alleged that police was not taking appropriate action.

“We have given the President details of these cases, including photographs. Our worker Pramod was killed. Houses of more than 100 workers have been vandalised. Situation is not good. He has assured us that he will take appropriate action.

“Unfortunately, the UPA and Congress are keeping quiet. This is not good for democracy. Democracy is a battle of ideas and parties cannot grow by taking law into their hands. We hope that those having faith in democracy will condemn this violence,” Gadkari said.

Asked about CPI(M)’s charge that the BJP was misleading, he said details of the incidents have been submitted to Mukherjee.

Besides Gadkari, the delegation included Union ministers J.P. Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, MPs Meenakshi Lekhi and M.J. Akbar and Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that it is the BJP and RSS workers who started the bout of violence in Kerala by attacking a victory procession.

“This has happened across the state. The BJP is simply not willing to accept the democratic verdict of the people of Kerala,” he told reporters. — PTI