RSS worker hacked in Kerala, critically injured, say police

KANNUR: An RSS worker was on Sunday hacked, allegedly by CPI(M) workers, at Muzhuppilangad near Thalassery in the politically volatile Kannur district of Kerala.

According to the police, the condition of Nidesh (28), the RSS worker, was critical and he had been shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College hospital.

He had suffered injuries on his hands and legs, the police said.

The local BJP unit alleged that the workers of the CPI (M), the ruling party in Kerala, was behind the attack on Nidesh.

The police suspect that the attack was carried out by bikeborne persons at around 5.30 PM on a road near the Muzhuppilangad beach. Additional police personnel have been deployed in the area. The BJP is currently taking out a ‘Janaraksha Yatra’, protesting against attacks on its workers, allegedly by CPI(M) workers, in the southern state.

The march, which was flagged off by BJP chief Amit Shah at Kannur on October 3, is scheduled to conclude at state capital Thiruvananthapuram on October 17. Shah is expected to be present in Thiruvananthapuram on that day.

State BJP chief Kummanam Rajasekharan is leading the march, which reached Kollam on Sunday.

Meanwhile, CM Pinarayi Vijayan had a terse message for the BJP after it ended up in fourth place in the Vengara assembly bypoll — “don’t mess with Kerala”. Vijayan also taunted the BJP’S Jan Raksha Yatra, saying the month-long campaign’s results appeared to be negligible as the people of Kerala spoke against it in one voice.