RSS worker's killing: 7 arrested, Kerala Governor Sathasivam summons CM, DGP

A day after an RSS worker was killed in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Director General of Police Loknath Behera were on Sunday summoned by Governor P Sathasivam.

They apprised the governor of the steps taken inconnection with the brutal killing even as the police saidseven persons were arrested.

In another incident, an RSS worker was injured tonightwhen he was attacked by some unidentified persons at Pandalamin Pathanamthitta district, the police said. The man, who received "minor injuries", was taken to a hospital, they added.

Vijayan and Behera met the governor separately after they were summoned by the Raj Bhavan this morning to ascertain the action taken, following the recent violent incidents, including the killing of RSS worker Rajesh (34).

The state has been witnessing a cycle of violenceinvolving the BJP-RSS and CPI(M) workers with the capitaldistrict rocked by incidents of attacks on houses of the rivalpartymen in the last few days. The state BJP office was also vandalised on July 28.

Rajesh was hacked to death by a gang, allegedly led by ahistory-sheeter, here last night. His left arm was chopped offand there were several other injuries all over his body. A Raj Bhavan statement said the governor soughtinformation from the chief minister and the DGP in the wake ofthe recent incidents of violence in the state capital and thekilling of the RSS functionary.

"Summoned Chief Minister and State Police Chief to know about the action taken by State govt on law and order issues in Trivandrum (sic)," Sathasivam tweeted, adding that Vijayanassured him that the law-breakers would be sternly dealt with, irrespective of their political affiliation.

The police said seven persons, including prime accusedManikandan, the history-sheeter, had been arrested inconnection with the killing of the RSS worker. They added that the attack was due to a "personal enmity" between Manikandan and the victim, which had been going on for the last one-and-a-half years.

In a related development, Union Home Minister RajnathSingh spoke to Vijayan, voiced concern over attacks onpolitical workers in Kerala and said political violence wasunacceptable in a democracy.

Meanwhile, the statewide dawn-to-dusk 'hartal' called bythe BJP in protest against the killing of Rajesh evoked a neartotal response with state-run and private buses keeping offthe roads and shops and business establishments remainingshut. It by and large passed off peacefully, barring some minorincidents of stonepelting, destruction of flag masts anddamage of vehicles.

A scooter, which was parked in front of the UniversityCollege here, a bastion of the CPI(M)'s students' outfit, the SFI, was found burnt shortly after the funeral procession of Rajesh passed through the city in the evening.

The chief minister met the governor at around 11.30 am, while the DGP met Sathasivam at 12.30 pm, the Raj Bhavan said.

It also said the chief minister would soon make a public appeal to maintain peace.

Vijayan also told the governor that he would be meetingKerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan and the state RSSchief, the Raj Bhavan statement added.

The governor asked the DGP to take all possible measuresto book the culprits and maintain peace in the state. Sathasivam also spoke to Rajasekharan about the incidentand the attack on the BJP office here.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan claimed thatthe RSS worker's killing was a fallout of a personal rivalryand his party had nothing to do with it.

He alleged that the BJP was trying to put the blame onthe Left party as part of their "secret political agenda". Rajasekharan, on the other hand, alleged that the rulingCPI(M) in Kerala was trying to "eliminate" its politicalopponents and urged it to refrain from perpetrating violence. Opposition Congress leaders observed a fast in Kozhikode to protest against the "politics of violence" in Kerala.