BJP worker succumbs to CPM attack, hartal at Palakkad on Saturday

B Upendran | HENB | Palakkad :  The unabated political violence between Communists and saffron brigade in Kerala has claimed one more victim, while two others remain critical.

A BJP worker who suffered grievous burns after political rivals from CPI (M) set fire to his house, succumbed to his injuries on Friday at Jubilee Mission Medical College in Thrissur.

The attack happened on December 28 at Kanjikode in Palakkad.

The BJP has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Saturday following the death of its mandalam committee member Chadayankalayil Radhakrishnan, 44, of Sree Vatsam, Kanjikode, on Friday. Essential services like milk, newspaper and Sabarimala pilgrims have been exempted from the hartal.

Radhakrishnan’s house was attacked and bikes parked on the premises were set ablaze by suspected CPM activists in the wee hours of December 28. Radhakrishnan and his wife Valsala, who rushed out seeing the blaze, began to douse the fire when the gas cylinder kept in the verandah caught fire and exploded.

Radhakrishnan, 44, had been rushed to the hospital with 60% burns on his body. He was admitted along with his brother Kannan and his wife Vimala, who had also suffered burn injury in the attack.

Three CPI(M) workers were arrested last week for the attack, a few others are still absconding.

“We have called for a district wide hartal on January 7. The attack was done with the intention to kill. The condition of both Kannan and his wife is critical,” Advocate E Krishnadas -BJP Palakkad district president said.

Kannan and Vimala continue to remain critical, with both sustaining over 70% and 80% burns respectively.

All the three victims were local leaders of the BJP.

In Kerala Hindus and Saffron Brigade are facing combine attacks from Islam, Christianity and Communism.

Source : Hindu Existence