Coming down hard on the ruling CPI-M government for the attacks against BJP and RSS workers in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday said that violence cannot deter the saffron party's growth in Kerala.
Terming the killings in Kannur, the home district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a matter of "shame", Shah said that the ruling party cannot suppress the BJP’s rise in the state through intimidation.
"If the Chief Minister and his party think that they can suppress the growth of BJP with intimidation, they are living in 'galatfehmi' (misunderstanding)", he said after laying the foundation stone for a new building of the party state office here.
Shah said the BJP has found it very difficult to carry out its activities in Kerala as violence and attacks against BJP-RSS workers increase whenever CPI(M) headed LDF government comes to power.
"This time also after the LDF came to power 13 RSS-BJP workers were killed one by one due to political reasons by CPI(M)", he said.
"It is a matter of shame that most of the killings have occurred in the home district (Kannur) of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan", he said.
Shah also said that the party would take necessary steps to ensure that those responsible for the attacks against BJP-RSS workers get maximum punishment as per law.
"Do not think that just because communist government is in power, those who unleashed violence against BJP workers will go scot free. We will ensure through the legal process that the maximum punishment is given to the attackers", he added.
Shah said the foundation stone for the new office was also equally a foundation stone for the formation of a BJP-led government in Kerala in future.
"BJP in Kerala is ready to march forward. From the acceptance the saffron party received among all sections of society, BJP-led NDA government will come to power in the state, where the CPI(M) led LDF and Congress headed UDF have been ruling alternatively," he said.
The BJP chief said it was due to the hard work of several leaders and workers that the party had risen from 10 MPs as Jan Sangh and transformed itself into the biggest political party in the world with a membership of more than 11 crore.
BJP State President Kumanom Rajasekharan and former Union Minister and MLA O Rajagopal were among several top party leaders who attended the function.
Shah had arrived in Kerala yesterday on a three-day visit as a part of his 95-day countrywide tour ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
(With PTI inputs)
