Kerala: RSS worker's murder would've ashamed even terrorists, says Jaitley

Attack against Rajesh is not a mere killing of an RSS worker, but a message to Dalits: RSS

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Rakesh Sinha on Monday compared the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to Taliban.

Rakesh Sinha said, "The kind of attack and violence the CP(M) are perpetuating in Kerala makes them no different than talibanis."

Claiming that the pattern of killings that have been happening in Kerala is distinct, Sinha said that the CP(M) are killing Dalit activists because they are dejecting them and coming to RSS.

"Attack against Rajesh is not a mere killing of an RSS worker, but a message to Dalits, who constitute 9.2 percent of Kerala's population, that they cannot choose party and ideology according to their choice," he added.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday visited the family of an RSS activist murdered by suspected CPI-M workers in Kerala and called it a "barbaric" crime that would have "even embarrassed a terrorist".

"Rajesh had 89 wounds on his body. The kind of wounds inflicted would have even embarrassed a terrorist," Jaitley said after meeting the family members of E. Rajesh, 34, who was hacked to death a week ago.

"It is cruelty of a barbaric nature... Even an enemy country wouldn't do this kind of brutality but a political party did this," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader added.

"You have a series of these incidents in which a large number of political workers are being killed, party offices have been attacked, our President of the state unit got saved by a whisker.

"We will not forget this heinous act. I am here to express my solidarity on behalf of our party," he added.

Jaitley, who drove from the airport to Rajesh's home, met his wife, two children and other family members.

He then addressed a commemorative meeting where he accused the government and police of being "mute spectators" and said the killings were targeted murders and not scuffles leading to violence.

"Governments are elected to do good for the people," he said. "But in Kerala the ruling party is perpetrating violence on the people. This type of ideology won't crush our ideology."

The minister complained that had some something similar happened in a BJP-ruled state, there would have been a hue and cry.

"Every time the LDF (Left Democratic Front) is in power, incidents of violence increase... What is needed now is neutrality by police.

"We need political will and determination by the state government to discipline its own cadre rather let them loose on the political opponents," he said.

He said the BJP will support the families of workers who have been killed by Marxists.

A series of clashes between CPI (M) and the BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the Central and state Government to take strict actions towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

"Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said RSS Joint General Secretary.

Dattatreya Hosabale RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

Earlier Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the murder and called for an all-party meeting on August 6 regarding the same.

He said that party offices and workers' houses can't be attacked and political parties should be more vigilant and ask workers to keep away from such incidents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called on Vijayan to nab the perpetrators and bring them to justice expeditiously.

He even requested the Chief Minister to curb the political violence in the state and said, "I expect that the political violence in Kerala is curbed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously."

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.