Shah pulls out of BJP padayatra through Pinarayi, CM labels him 'wet cracker'

BJP chief Amit Shah, who was set to take part in the party's rally through Pinarayi in Kannur on Thursday, has pulled out of the event. 

Shah was supposed to march past Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's home on Thursday, in one of the most anticipated legs of the BJP's 15-day 'jana raksha yatra' against CPM violence. 

The padayatra that starts from Mambaram on Thursday morning will pass through Pinarayi and end at Thalassery in the evening. However, the BJP chief had to pull out of the day's programme in Kannur to reportedly attend an urgent meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. 

'We want to show a mirror to CPM government': Adityanath walks Kannur streets [Video]

BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said he is not disappointed about Shah cancelling the programme and also played down speculations that the veteran leader was unhappy with the party's state unit.

Meanwhile, CM Pinarayi has dubbed Shah as a "wet cracker". The comment came after Shah held Pinarayi directly responsible for the killings of party and RSS workers in the state.

Shah launches padayatra, says Pinarayi responsible for RSS workers' murders [Video]

Claiming that the BJP is trying to break the secularism in Kerala, Pinarayi said, "Amit Shah came and became like wet cracker here. The BJP is trying to break secularism with the power."

"The BJP now shows the intolerance towards Kerala. Kerala does not have to learn any lesson on peace from you. The leaders also involved in the killing are carried out by RSS activists," the CM added.