Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said it is the duty of the State government to restore peace in the district and to protect every citizen’s right to live.
At a press conference here on Wednesday after visiting the bereaved family of slain RSS worker Choorakkad Biju who had been hacked to death near Ramanthali here on May 12, Mr. Rudy said he saw scare in the eyes of the people, especially women, in the area.
“I expect the State government and the Chief Minister to respond, and I expect law and order to be restored in the district,” he said adding that Kannur had a great significance because it was the district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Minister said. Observing that the murder of Biju was a pre-meditated one, Mr. Rudy said the youth had been under threat for a long time and had reported it to local party workers and to the police. Counterpoint being cited was that Biju’s name had figured in a murder case (Dhanaraj murder case). His name had been added prospectively on charges of conspiracy, he said.
“That he was an accused in the case does not vindicate his killing,” the Minister said.
To a question on the BJP State leadership’s demand for imposition of AFSPA , he said the BJP leadership’s idea was to get justice and to ensure protection of their party workers.
“Whatever may be the terminology or whatever may be the understanding or whatever may be the demand of the party, the main aim is to see that the people who are responsible for such acts are punished,” he said.
Asked his response to the statements of some BJP leaders flaying Governor P. Sathasivam in the wake of the representation of the party State leadership, Mr. Rudy said that the Governor was a facilitator of both the State and the Centre.
The Governor had acted appropriately as far as the party’s representation was concerned, he said.
