The Saffron Juggernaut. The BJP has unleashed an aggressive campaign in God's Own Country. The Jan Raksha March inaugurated by BJP president Amit Shah on October 3 from Payyannur in Kannur district of Kerala was passed on to the Yogi from Uttar Pradesh. It will conclude on October 17, with Amit Shah at the helm. The party is highlighting the killings of BJP and RSS cadres under political patronage. The 14-day yatra is the best planned strategic political move the party has made so far in Kerala where it is struggling to gain acceptance. The beginning of the march, scheduled to cover 11 districts, in Payyannur town of the politically volatile Kannur district, saw a strong emotional pitch by Shah and all the speakers giving sketchy details of the killings that took place in the region. Family members of the slain RSS and BJP workers in Kannur were on parade. The yatra is targeted against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) but is the Congress which has more to worry.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed the Kerala government over “political killings” of BJP-RSS workers in the state, and also raised the issue of alleged ‘love jihad’.
“Love Jihad is a dangerous trend. The Supreme Court has already passed an order on it and the NIA is investigating it. Kerala government should make its stand clear on it,” Adityanath said, addressing a rally on the second day of the BJP’s Yatra.
He said that the number of murders of BJP-RSS cadres proved that the killers were “being given protection”.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s visit came a day after BJP national president Amit Shah was in the state to launch ‘Jana Raksha Yatra’ or ‘March for People’s Protection’ from Kannur district, and targeted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the killings of several BJP and RSS cadres allegedly by CPI-M workers.
On Tuesday, Shah while flagging off the “Jana Raksha Yatra” being undertaken by Kerala BJP president Kummanem Rajasekheran at Payanur in Kannur district, had singled out Vijayan for the violence unleashed on BJP and RSS cadres in the state, especially in his home town Kannur.
After offering prayers at a temple here, Adityanath waving to a huge gathering of party workers, started his walk around 11 a.m.
“The ‘Jana Raksha Yatra’ is being conducted by us to instil confidence and security in the minds of the common people who have fallen victims to the violence unleashed by the CPI-M. In Vijayan’s hometown itself, it’s the common people who have been murdered. Vijayan is heading a government that denies the democratic rights of people and has turned out to be a miserable failure to maintain peace,” said Adityanath, speaking to the media during a break in the course of his yatra.
He pointed out that in states like Tripura where the CPI-M rules and in West Bengal where the CPI-M ruled for many years, it was a common practice of the party to engage in political killings.
“The BJP is currently ruling on its own in 13 states and in four states it’s ruling with allies, and in all these states the governments are not engaged in political killings. We are a party which believes there is no place for violence in a democracy,” added the Chief Minister.
Union Minister of State (Finance) Shivprasad Shukla, Kerala superstar and BJP MP Suresh Gopi and party General Secretary Arun Singh are among those taking part in the yatra.
On Thursday, Amit Shah will return to participate in the yatra which will take him past the home of Vijayan. In the evening Shah will address a meeting at Tellichery.
Adityanath’s comments on love jihad come as the Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it will examine whether a High Court can annul a marriage while hearing a plea by the parents of a Hindu woman who had converted to Islam to marry a Muslim man.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was hearing a plea by Shafin Jahan challenging the Kerala High Court order nullifying his marriage with Hadiya (the bride’s name after conversion). (IANS)