BJP worker Sarath Chandran, 26, stabbed to death in Kerala’s Alappuzha

Kerala BJP blamed the ruling CPM for the 26-year-old’s death but the police insist that Sarath Chandran’s death was not a political murder. Three men have been arrested

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 26-year-old activist of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was stabbed to death in Kerala’s Alappuzha district on Wednesday night following an altercation during a local temple festival. Police said three men, alleged to be members of a criminal gang, have been arrested.

In a second incident, a former BJP-RSS worker Hariprasad in Kerala lost his hands when a country-made bomb that he was assembling went off. (Reuters)

A police officer said Sarath Chandran was on his way home from the temple in Harippad area of Alappuzha district when he was waylaid and stabbed at about 11.30pm. He died in hospital two hours later.

The BJP has blamed the ruling CPM for the 26-year-old’s death but the police insist that Sarath Chandran’s death was not a political murder.

“The ruling CPI(M) and drug mafia have a close nexus. Another life was snuffed out. Goonda raj is prevailing in the state… and the CM is keeping a stiff upper lip. For the ruling party, clashes and murders are only isolated incidents,” said BJP state president K Surendran.

He added that three BJP workers have been killed in the last three months in the state but leaders of the ruling party leaders were more concerned about criticising the Uttar Pradesh government, a reference to the recent back and forth between Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and UP’s Yogi Adityanath.