Union Minister condemns killing of RSS cadres in Kerala

Kochi, March 17: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday, March 17 condemned killing of RSS cadres in poll-bound Kerala.

He said such "unfortunate killings" of RSS workers have been happening only in Kerala for so many years.

Two days after his ministerial colleagues Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Smriti Irani urged the Election Commission to take strong measures to ensure violence-free poll in Kerala, Vardhan said he has been an RSS swayamsevak for over 46 years and he felt "sorry" about the killings of RSS workers in the state.

"That is most unfortunate...whether it is in Kerala politics or anywhere. And in Kerala it is happening for so many years. I think I am myself an RSS swayamsevak for over 46 years now and I know what we have learnt in RSS. "...What we teach in RSS is only to become good human beings...This is what is being taught in RSS.

I don't know why so many unfortunate killings and all those things of such dedicated people happen in Kerala only.

This is something which we feel sorry about," he said. The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences said RSS teaches its cadres only to become "whole-hearted, 100 per cent, totally committed swayamsevaks for the sake of the society and the nation and only to help the people."

In recent cases of violence, former Kerala BJP chief V Muraleedharan was among 16 persons injured in an attack allegedly by CPI(M) workers at Kattayikonam in Thiruvananthapuram early this week. On March 8, RSS worker E K Biju was hacked in front of school children in Kannur, Rudy had said after submitting a memorandum to the Election Commission.

The BJP has also alleged that hundreds of party workers over the years have been killed in politically volatile Kannur district only.

Yesterday, a delegation of BJP leaders in Delhi had asked the Election Commission to provide security to its workers in Kerala and take action to ensure free and fair elections as it cited "targeted attacks" on them allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

Talking about elections, Vardhan said the coming polls will see spectacular success of the BJP in Kerala and all other states having assembly polls. "Everywhere we see a lot of enthusiasm amongst people."

PTI