RSS activist's murder: Prohibitory orders in 2 Alappuzha taluks, Surendran seeks ban on PFI

RSS activist's murder: Prohibitory orders in 2 Alappuzha taluks, Surendran seeks ban on PFI
Hundreds of BJP-RSS workers carried his body in a procession after postmortem. Photo: Manorama

Alappuzha: Alappuzha District Collector A Alexander has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in Cherthala and Ambalapuzha taluks for three days following minor incidents of violence during a hartal observed on Thursday in protest against the murder of a young activist of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Gathering of more than five people for any event other than funerals were banned in these taluks till Saturday, the district administration announced on Thursday.

The BJP had observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district to protest the late Wednesday murder of the young man named Nandu Krishna in Nagamkulangara, near Cherthala. It accused the Left Democratic Government of siding with the culprits as CPI(M), the main ruling party in the state, has a political alliance with the Islamic outfit.

Eight arrests so far

The police have so far arrested eight Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists in connection with the killing.

SDPI is a political offshoot of Popular Front of India (PFI).

The victim, Nandu Krishna, 22, was a gatnayak (group leader) of the RSS. He was allegedly hacked to death by the workers of the SDPI following a clash between the two groups.

Nandu's mortal remains were cremated on Thursday.

Tense build-up

According to reports, tension had been brewing in the area following a march organised by the SDPI recently in protest against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Kerala visit to inaugurate BJP's Vijay Yatra from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram.

The area had witnessed back-to-back protest marches by the two sides following the SDPI programme.

'Terror outfits gets CP(I)M backing'

BJP state president K Surendran urged the state government to ban the activities of the PFI in Kerala while describing it as a "terror organisation".

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister V Muraleedharan alleged both the Communists and the Congress were encouraging "terror outfits like Popular Front of India" in the state to keep them as their vote bank.

He said the Centre will take necessary steps against the "religion-based terrorist activities" being witnessed in the southern state.

The Alappuzha district committee of the SDPI in a statement alleged it was the RSS workers who had carried out "a planned attack" against its campaign organised in Nagamkulangara.

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