Soft spoken Ramesh, 52, a practicing chartered accountant, was killed near his office in Salem at around 10 p.m. by unknown assailants.

Condemning the killing, BJP state leader Pon Radhakrishnan told IANS: "The party has called for a state wide general strike Monday. Ramesh was a patriot and did not have any professional enemies. He is the fourth Hindu leader to be killed within a year."