No Amit Shah as BJP yatra enters Kerala CM's hometown

KOCHI: After targeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for violence against the BJP and the RSS workers in Kerala, BJP national president Amit Shah called off his visit to the state on Thursday as the BJP’s Janaraksha Yatra entered Pinarayi, the chief minister’s hometown.

Kerala BJP leaders said Shah could not be a part of the third day of the yatra --from Mambaram to Thalassery via Pinarayi – due to “other important engagements” in New Delhi.

The party had announced that Shah would join the yatra on Thursday. On the first day of Janaraksha Yatra, Shah had said the BJP would organise a campaign against the CPI-M at the national level. Shah had returned to Delhi after taking part in the yatra on the first day and was expected to rejoin it on Thursday.

Expecting Shah’s participation, security was tightened along the road and hundreds of policemen were deployed at key points.