Prohibition order in Alappuzha: Tension is rife in Kerala after SDPI leader, BJP functionary are killed

A prohibitory order has been imposed by the police in Kerala’s Alappuzha district after two party leaders, one belonging to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the other to the BJP, were killed back-to-back. District officials confirmed that in the wake of the murder of an SDPI state secretary, a BJP leader was hacked to death subsequently in 12 hours and that a prohibitory order was issued under CrPC section 144 in the entire Alappuzha district on Sunday. The state secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Kerala, KS Shan, was allegedly attacked by RSS thugs on Saturday night while he was returning home. According to police, Shan died at a Kochi hospital around midnight from his injuries.

In less than 12 hours, BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan, state secretary of the OBC Morcha, was killed when attackers broke into his Alappuzha residence. The advocate’s wife and mother were at the residence when he was killed. Ranjith, who is an advocate at the Alappuzha bar, was the BJP candidate for Alappuzha Assembly. The police suspect that Ranjith was killed in retaliation for the killing of Shan. Ranjith is a member of the BJP’s state committee. Following the killing of the BJP leader, a prohibitory order was imposed.

Ramesh Chennithala, former Kerala Home Minister and senior Congress leader condemned the attacks. ‘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 organizations. Senior leaders of both the organizations have been killed and police are watching the game from the gallery,’ Chennithala told IANS.

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Gopakumar, BJP district president of Alappuzha, told reporters, ‘SDPI is on a killing spree. Ranjith Sreenivasan was a popular advocate and senior BJP leader. It is indeed shocking, and it is evident that the police have failed miserably in dealing with the violence. SDPI has been trying to play with the blood of innocent BJP and RSS workers, and they began the killings by murdering ABVP leader Nandu a few months back. If this situation continues, Alappuzha district will become a battlefield’.