CPI-M leader: Modi is instigating violence in Kerala 

State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Saturday, December 15, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of instigating violence in Kerala.

While addressing the media in Delhi, Balakrishnan lashed out at Modi for interacting with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres in the state via a video call on Friday, December 14.

"Through supporting shutdowns, Modi is instigating violence and that's what he did. All this is being done to unsettle the state government here," he said.

Modi interacted with his party cadres when the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party was observing a statewide shutdown after a 50-year-old man set himself on fire at a BJP protest venue on Thursday and later succumbed to his injuries.

The BJP state unit has been protesting ever since the Kerala government has been attempting to implement the Supreme Court order of opening the Sabarimala temple to women of all ages.

"The BJP in Kerala is trying to enter the Guinness with the record of holding shutdowns for anything and everything. Shutdown protests are called only in extreme cases," added Balakrishnan, who is in Delhi to attend the central committee meeting of CPI-M.