Kerala tense after SDPI, BJP leaders killed in retaliatory attacks

The Islamist organisation, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the BJP have entered into political clashes in Alappuzha district of Kerala with state-level leaders of both getting killed within a spate of hours.

The issues commenced when Nandu, an ABVP leader was killed a few months ago allegedly by the SDPI workers and on Saturday night the SDPI state secretary, Advocate K.S. Shan was hacked near his residence at Mannenchery in Alappuzha district while he was returning home. SDPI state president Muvattupuzha Ashraf Moulavi on Saturday night alleged that the BJP-RSS combine was behind the attack and the subsequent death of the SDPI state secretary. He has in a press statement warned that there would be strong retaliation if the RSS, BJP leaders don't stop these attacks.

On Sunday morning, a popular BJP leader, Ranjith Sreenivasan, state secretary of the OBC Morcha was killed after attackers barged into his residence at Alappuzha. His wife and mother were at the residence at the time of the killing of the advocate.

Ranjith, who is a practicing advocate at Alappuzha bar was the BJP candidate at Alappuzha Assembly constituency.

The Islamist organisation, SDPI, and Popular Front of India have been consistently attacking the RSS and the BJP leaders for several years, and recently in November at Palakkad, RSS local level leader Sanjith was hacked to death while he was travelling on a two-wheeler along with his wife.

Senior Congress leader and former Kerala Home Minister, Ramesh Chennithala condemned the attacks. While speaking to IANS the senior leader said, "Both BJP and SDPI must stop these retaliatory killings and this is not politics. Kerala Police under the CPI-M has turned into a major failure and the state home department and police did not take any precautions even after there were local-level issues pertaining to both the organisations. Senior leaders of both the organisations have been killed and police are watching the game from the gallery."

BJP Alappuzha district president, Gopakumar while speaking to IANS said, "SDPI is into a killing spree and Ranjith Sreenivasan was a popular advocate and a senior leader of the BJP at Alappuzha district. It is indeed shocking and the police have failed miserably in containing the violence. SDPI has been trying to play with the blood of innocent BJP, RSS workers and they started the killing by murdering ABVP leader Nandu a few months back. This has to be stopped otherwise Alappuzha district would turn into a battlefield."

Senior police officers are camping at Alappuzha district as the body of Shan will be brought from Ernakulam where he was admitted at a private hospital after being hacked at Mannanchery. The body of Ranjith Sreenivasan is kept at the Alappuzha general hospital and a strong police contingent is camping at Alappuzha town.