Thrissur: The highway black money robbery incident has deepened the fissures within the BJP district committee here, with the party expelling an office-bearer from its primary membership, and the suspended member allegedly receiving a threat to his life.
A few hours after the party had suspended its OBC Morcha state vice president Rishi Palpu from the party's primary membership, he approached the West Police with a complaint, saying district general secretary K R Hari threatened to eliminate him.
The robbery case sparked an internal feud with the party, which turned violent when BJP workers clashed among themselves, injuring one, at Vadanappally on Sunday. Police on Monday arrested four BJP activists for allegedly stabbing their party colleague. Investigators said three more men were to be arrested.
Police had earlier interrogated Hari, treasurer Sijai Senan, in connection with the April 3 heist, carried out after faking a road accident at Kodakara. The Vadanappally stabbing, suspension and the death threat were the fallout of the incident that had led to the split among the BJP members.
Rishi Palpu was suspended over his response to the Vadanappally violence in a Facebook post. BJP State president K Surendran said the man was suspended following a complaint by the party’s district president K K Aneesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, BJP district office secretary Satheesh Pottor told investigators he had booked a hotel room for the gang that brought in the black money following a directive by the district leadership. He was interrogated on Monday.
It has been alleged that the party workers brought in Rs 3.5 crore unaccounted money to the state through the hawala route to fund the BJP’s election campaign.
