Kerala: Eight SDPI Workers Arrested In Connection With Killing Of 22-Yr-Old RSS Worker

Kerala Police have arrested eight Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) workers connected with the murder of a 22-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker in Alappuzha district, following a clash between the two groups.

Following the arrest, the district administration imposed section 144 in Cherthala and Ambalapuzha taluks for three days, The News Minute reported.

The deceased, identified as Rahul Krishna, aka Nandu, was hacked to death on Wednesday, February 24, allegedly by the SDPI members. He was an RSS worker at Nagamkulangara in Vayalar panchayat of the Alappuzha district.

Two days ago, the SDPI had held a meeting at Nagamkulangara as part of the state-wide protest against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who was in the state to inaugurate the BJP's Vijay Yatra from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the Assembly elections.

The violence broke out between the RSS and SDPI party workers after a motorcade of the SDPI passed Nagamkulangara.

According to the reports, a scuffle between the two groups broke after the SDPI allegedly raised slogans along the communal lines. Nandu died in the attack while another RSS worker's hand was chopped off. The clash also left three SDPI workers injured, who were rushed to a government hospital nearby.

Police confirmed nearly six workers from both sides were severely injured and admitted to hospitals at Alappuzha and Ernakulam.

After completing the postmortem at the Government Medical College Hospital, his body was cremated on Thursday, February 25. Hundreds of BJP-RSS workers carried his body in the procession.

Following the young worker's death, BJP called for a 'hartal' in the district and protested against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for allegedly siding with the accused.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister V Muraleedharan alleged that both the Communists and the Congress were encouraging outfits like Popular Front of India (PFI) and kept them as their vote banks. He assured the Centre would take necessary steps against the 'religion-based terrorist activities' being witnessed in the state.

On the other hand, the SDPI Alappuzha district committee, in its statement, alleged RSS workers of carrying out a 'planned attack' against the campaign the party had organised.