Amit Shah to lead padayatra against assault over Sangh workers in Kerala, Mangaluru

After much delay, Kerala BJP unit's ambitions Janaraksha Yatra will commence from October 3. BJP National President Amit Shah will lead the padayatra aimed at highlighting political violence in Kerala and condemning the killings of Sangh Parivaar workers. Leaders of Karnataka BJP hope to replicate a similar padayatra in Mangaluru.

The padayatra was scheduled to be held for three days in September but had to be postponed. While the BJP maintained that Amit Shah's busy schedule was the reason for the delay, party insiders pointed to RSS' disappointment with the Kerala BJP for the padayatra not taking off as planned.Amit Shah is expected to take part in the Janaraksha Yatra between October 3 and 5. Karnataka state BJP leaders who held a core committee meeting at the state election in charge, Prakash Javdekar's residence, decided to replicate the padayatra in Mangaluru.

BJP in Karnataka has previously attempted to take out a bike rally condemning the killings of Sangh workers in coastal Karnataka but the rally was a damp squib with the Congress government cracking down on it. The state unit now intends to organize a padayatra led by Amit Shah in Mangaluru on October 4, between his schedule in Kerala. In Kerala, the padayatra will commence from Kannur, the hotbed of political killings in Kerala. The CPI(M) has vehemently opposed the padayatra accusing the BJP of attempting to create unrest in the state.