Kerala violence spillover: Karnataka BJP MP warns of attacks on communists
- MP Nalin Kumar Kateel warned of reprisals against communists in other BJP-ruled states.
- He claimed that there was jungle raj in Kerala.
- There have been nearly 400 attacks on BJP activists in Kerala since May 2016.
FollowBarely two weeks after he warned of a communal “fire in Dakshina Kannada,” Mangaluru MP Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP) is back in the news for his inflammatory statements. Referring to incidents of violence against BJP supporters by communists in Kerala, Kateel on January 17 warned that his party had the ability to catch and beat up communists in Karnataka.
Kateel was speaking at a state committee meeting of the BJP at Kottayam in Kerala. Kateel warned that if the attacks in Kerala did not stop, the Central government would intervene in the State and the CPM would “know the strength of the BJP in other states.” He criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the killings of 10 BJP workers since it ascended to power in 2016. Kateel claimed that there was “jungle raj” in Kerala.
Watch: BJP MP threatens to set Dakshina Kannada on fire, triggers row
Earlier this month, Kateel had warned Dakshina Kannada would be on fire in 10 days if police didn’t arrest the killers of an RSS sympathiser. The MP apologised after the comments went viral on social media. Despite Kateel’s penchant for incendiary remarks and the fact that communists are a minor political force in Karnataka, his latest comments on Kerala show that violence in the communist-ruled state is a major issue for the BJP.
On January 16, the Centre announced that it would provide “Y” class security for four senior BJP leaders in Kerala, citing nearly 400 attacks that had taken place against saffron party activists in the state since May 2016.
Also read: In Communist-ruled Kerala, BJP workers require 'Y' security cover!
