Kerala’s political parties condemned the lynching of a Dalit migrant worker from Chhattisgarh in Palakkad last Wednesday, calling him a “victim of the Sangh Parivar’s hate politics” and warning that mob lynchings, once associated with Sangh Parivar strongholds in North India, occurring in Kerala as well is a shocking reality and a clear example of how the Sangh Parivar’s poisonous, racist ideology operates within society.
This comes as five people, including four BJP workers, have been arrested in connection with the case.
Those arrested are Ananthan (55) of East Attappallam, and BJP–RSS workers A Anu (38) of Attappallam Kallankadu, C Prasad (34) and C Murali (38) of Attappallam Mahallikadu, and K Bibin (30) of East Attappallam. When the accused were produced before the court, BJP workers gathered on the premises.
RSS worker R Jineesh, an accused in the murder of SDPI activist Subair, was also reportedly present at the court.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government on Monday announced a compensation of at least ₹10 lakh to the family of Ram Narayan, a migrant worker from Chhattisgarh who had arrived in Palakkad four days earlier in search of a job and was brutally attacked by a mob.
Ram Narayan, who was staying with a relative near Attappallam under the Walayar police limits, reportedly lost his way and got stranded in the village.
As the victim’s relatives initially refused to claim the body, Revenue Minister K Rajan held discussions with them on Monday and assured that the family would receive compensation of “not less than ₹10 lakh.”
He said a formal decision would be taken at the next cabinet meeting, speaking to the media in Thrissur after the talks.
The state government will also facilitate the transportation of the body by air to Chhattisgarh.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that justice will be ensured for the family of Ram Narayan Baghel and that strict action will be taken against the accused.
He said a special investigation team led by the Palakkad Superintendent of Police is probing the case, and directions have been issued to examine all aspects of the incident and initiate necessary legal action, stressing that the government will also review the matter and ensure appropriate compensation for the victim’s family.
Describing the incident as “unacceptable,” the Chief Minister said such acts “tarnish the reputation of a progressive society like Kerala” and urged everyone to remain vigilant to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said that mob lynching, “once thought impossible in Kerala, has happened again near Attappadi,” alleging that the police arrived hours after the incident.
Calling it “a shame on Kerala,” he said mob justice is unacceptable and demanded justice and compensation for the victim’s family.
CPI(M) leader from Palakkad and State Local Self Government Minister M B Rajesh alleged that the Dalit migrant worker from Chhattisgarh, who was lynched by a mob in Palakkad last Wednesday after being labelled a thief and questioned by the attackers, “Are you a Bangladeshi?” was a “victim of the Sangh Parivar’s hate politics.”
“He was attacked after being stigmatised as Bangladeshi. The assailants included RSS workers, who had faced criminal cases. The migrant worker who came in search of a job was tried and assaulted, accused of being a Bangladeshi. He is a victim of the racial hatred being spread by Sangh Parivar in the country,” Rajesh said.
The state leadership meeting of the Muslim League said that the brutal killing of a migrant worker in Walayar, Palakkad, is a “disgrace” to Kerala.
“The fact that incidents of mob lynching, until now heard only from Sangh Parivar strongholds in North India, are taking place in Kerala as well is a shocking reality,” the meeting said.
They noted that thousands of migrant workers come to Kerala to earn a livelihood and support their families, and many have settled in the state along with their families.
“Treating them with dignity has always been Kerala’s tradition. However, what happened in Walayar was an extremely despicable act,” they said.
The meeting alleged that the politics of hatred and hostility propagated by the Sangh Parivar played a role in the killing.
“The fact that four of those arrested are active RSS workers itself stands as evidence of the communal hatred behind the crime,” they noted.
Calling the incident a “blot” on Kerala, the Muslim League demanded exemplary punishment for the guilty and urged that all those involved be arrested at the earliest.
The Welfare Party called the killing “conscience-shocking” and demanded strong legal action against all RSS–BJP workers who allegedly planned and carried out the mob assault and murder.
“The mob violence was carried out by RSS–BJP activists after branding him a “Bangladeshi.” This incident is a clear example of how the Sangh Parivar’s poisonous, racist ideology operates within society. There should be no attempt to shield the perpetrators,” they said.
The party urged the state government to take appropriate steps to curb the racist and hate propaganda spread through social media by Sangh Parivar centres that target migrant workers.
The post-mortem examination of Ram Narayan has revealed the extreme brutality of the attack, with the doctor stating that there was not a single part of the body without injury.
“I have conducted more than 10,000 post-mortem examinations, but I have never seen a body subjected to such severe violence,” he said.
According to the post-mortem report, the cause of death was severe head injury.
Ram Narayan is survived by his wife, two young children, and his mother.
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