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New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in the wake of media reports and complaints of spate of attacks on political party workers and their killings in Kerala, has asked the state governments, through its Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, to take effective steps to stop them. It has given four weeks to the Kerala Government to submit a detailed report in the matter.
The Commission has observed that the crucial point is whenever such incidents happen, a precious human life is lost. The brutal killings of the party workers are indicative of growing rivalry among the workers of different parties and poor state of law and order in the state of Kerala. There is an urgent need to curb the ongoing violence which amounts to violations to rights to life of the victims, according to an NHRC release.
The NHRC has also observed that the difference of opinion and healthy criticism is the integral part of the multi-party democratic political system but bloodshed in the name of political and ideological differences is neither ethical nor acceptable in a civilized society. Though, the matter is already before it, still, in view of the gravity and sensitivity of the mater and finding no apparent improvement in the situation, it has again taken suo-motu cognizance of the matter, said the NHRC release.
The Commission on January 25, 2017, had already taken suo-motu cognizance of the matter on the basis of a media report carried on the same day on the incidents of the gruesome killings of the RSS and BJP workers in Kerala. It had called for a report from the Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, along with the specific information whether any relief in these matters has been granted by the state government to the victims or their families.
A detailed report was received from Kerala Police Chief stating that the members of any particular party only were not being murdered or attacked in Kerala but in some political issues, members of all parties have been attacked. The Commission also received a report from the Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, on May 4, 2017, in the matter.
On perusal of these reports, the Commission on June 12, 2017, directed the DGP, Kerala, to submit a list of the cases regarding murders/attacks on the political party workers. The Commission also called for information regarding the relief granted to the victims and their families from the Chief Secretary, Kerala. The report is yet to be received.
Apart from this, the Commission also registered a case on the complaint of Kummanam Rajashekaran, BJP State President, Kerala. He had specifically mentioned incidents of vandalizing the State BJP office at Thiruvananthapuram and killing of an RSS worker on July 28 & 29, 2017, respectively. The Commission on July 31, 2017, directed for an on the spot inquiry by its own team.