Alappuzha district collector calls all-party meeting on Tuesday; BJP & SDPI to participate

Alappuzha District collector Alexander A has called a peace and reconciliation meeting on Tuesday where all party representatives, including BJP and SDPI, were invited after twin political murders created unrest in the district. It will be attended by all MLAs from the district. Alappuzha DC urged people to maintain calm while informing them that no decision had been taken for the extension of Section 144.

Alappuzha district in Kerala was rocked by back-to-back murders on Saturday and Sunday. SDPI state secretary, who was brutally attacked on Saturday, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital around midnight. Hours later, BJP's OBC Morcha state secretary Renjith Sreenivasan was murdered in the wee hours of Sunday. The saffron party has accused the Popular Front of India (PFI), which is SDPI's parent organization, of being involved in Sreenivasan's murder. Following this, Section 144 was imposed in the district.

Two RSS workers arrested in connection with murder of SDPI leader

Kerala Police on Monday said that it has arrested two RSS workers in connection with Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state secretary KS Shan's death. ADGP (Law and Order) Vijay Sakhare told Republic Media Network said that they are not sure if SDPI members were behind the BJP leader's death as they had fully covered their face.

ADGP Sakhare said that eight more suspects will be arrested in the SDPI leader's murder. When questioned about provocative slogans being raised before committing murder, he normalized it saying political parties do keep making provocative slogans. "No police body would imagine a retaliatory murder in eight hours," he said.

Speaking about progress made in the probe into the killing of Sreenivasan, Sakhare "concrete clues" have been found. He said that cops have got a "substantial lead" about 12 people involved in BJP leader's murder. 

The senior police officers refused to provide more details in the case saying that police is also investigating if there were a larger conspiracy behind the killing and if established, the perpetrators who participated in it would be brought before the law.

SDPI state secretary KS Shan was buried in a khabaristan near his residence on Sunday evening. The cremation of BJP leader Renjith Sreenivasan took place on Monday.