Free, fair probe needed to end political violence: Arun Jaitley

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior BJP leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday alleged that Kerala witnessed a spurt in political violence whenever a Left Democratic Front regime came to power and the onus on putting an end to the culture of violence lay with the state government.

Mr Jaitley, considered number two in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, visited the home of slain RSS leader S.L. Rajesh at Sreekariyam here as directed by the Central leadership of the RSS and the BJP.

“You have political opponents being killed here,” he said. “Let’s assume if this kind of political violence had taken place in a BJP or NDA-ruled state, what would’ve happened? Awards would have been returned, Parliament would not have been allowed to function and campaigns would have been carried out within and outside country.”

“The state government must ensure that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes are brought to book and the police is expected to be fair,” he said addressing a press meet here on Sunday.

Mr Jaitley said there are victims on both the sides, but denied RSS role in them. He, however, declined to answer a question whether the state government had failed in maintaining law and order or whether the state should come under presidential rule. He said the all-party meet, which was underway while he was addressing the press conference, to end the political violence, was a positive step.  

The minister said incidents of violence will not come to an end until and unless the police conducted a fair probe into such incidents. Pointing out that there were 89 wounds on Rajesh’s body, the defence minister said the “barbaric act” would have embarrassed even a terrorist.

“We will not forget this heinous act. I am here to express my solidarity on behalf of our party. The workers of Kerala are not alone, the whole nation is with you,” the Union minister said, referring to the brutal way Rajesh was killed.