Kerala tense after SDPI, BJP leaders killed in retaliatory attacks; Section 144 in Alappuzha [details]

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.

DGP issues alert

Alappuzha district police have declared prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc in the district, which prevents assembling of people, after two leaders K.S. Shan of Islamist organisation SDPI and BJP's OBC Morcha state secretary Ranjith Sreenivasan were hacked to death in a spate of 12 hours in the district.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a press statement condoled the murders and said the police would take stringent action against the culprits.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Police has issued an alert to all the district police superintendents in the 14 districts of Kerala following the killings.

State police have drawn flak after the back-to-back killings in the district of senior leaders of the respective political parties.

Ranjith Sreenivasan was killed at his residence in the early morning of Sunday in front of his mother and wife. Ranjith, according to his mother, was attacked by an eight-member gang at his residence, which is situated in the heart of Alappuzha town.

SDPI state president Muvattupuzha Ashraf Moulavi had threatened dire consequences in a press statement on Saturday after SDPI state secretary K.S. Shan was attacked by a group of men at Mannancherry in Alappuzha near his residence. The SDPI leader succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Ernakulam late Saturday night.

SDPI state general secretary P.K. Usman while speaking to mediapersons at Ernakulam said that senior leaders of the RSS were involved in the planning behind the murder of SDPI leader K.S. Shan. He called upon the police to take stringent action against the RSS leaders, including Hindu AIkya Vedi state secretary Valsan Thillankerin in the murder of Shan.

(With inputs from IANS)