Kerala Dalit woman rape-murder case: Amit Shah to meet victim's family

BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday constituted a three-member committee to look into "growing atrocities" against Dalit women in the poll-bound Kerala and the party said its leaders will be visiting the families of victims in the coming days.

"Concerned with growing atrocities against Dalit women in Kerala, BJP President Amit Shah has constituted a committee," a party statement said.

BJP MPs in Lok Sabha -- Meenakshi Lekhi, Udit Raj and Arjun Ram Meghwal -- will visit these families on May 7, 8 and 9. A Dalit woman, who was a law student, was raped and murdered on April 28 in the state, leading to a sharp attack against the ruling UDF by BJP.

The party also took the issue and another case of the rape of a nurse two days ago in the state to the Election Commission today and demanded that it should press all resources to carry out free and fair polls in Kerala.

The prevailing law and order situation has made it "impossible" for the electorate, especially the minorities, Schedules Castes and women, to exercise their electoral right freely.

The delegation of the party leaders which visited the EC included Union ministers J P Nadda and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, besides Anurag Thakur, Udit Raj, Heena Gavit, Meenakshi Lekhi, Krishna Raj, Anju Balam and Neelam Sonker and Richard Hay, all Lok Sabha MPs.

Kerala is going to the polls on May 16 and BJP is looking at consolidation of a section of Hindu votes to emerge as a force in the state where it has never won a seat in the Assembly.