Vijayan accuses PM Modi, Rahul of covering up Kerala's progress with lies

With the crucial Lok Sabha polls just five days away in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday intensified his attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accusing them of attempting to cover up the progresses achieved by the state with "lies".

Modi and Gandhi have a similar voice while speaking against the southern state, he told a press conference in Kanhangadu here.

"A strange phenomenon is happening now in which the Prime Minister and the all India leader of the main opposition party are trying in unison to cover up the state (Kerala) and the progress it achieved with lies," the Chief Minister alleged.

 

Targeting Modi for his recent remarks against the state government, Vijayan said the Prime Minister had mentioned the other day that corruption thrives in Kerala like in Bihar.

Through the statement, the PM is insulting two states at one go, he said.

Rejecting Modi's charge, the Left leader said it is well known that Kerala is the least corrupt state in the country and the recognition in this regard was given to it by the recent India Corruption Survey jointly conducted by the Centre for Media Studies, Transparency International and Local Circles.

"Beyond that, what authentic report does the Prime Minister have to insult Kerala," Vijayan asked.

Attacking the BJP-led union government over the poor allocations to the states, he said the distribution of funds through financial commissions is not the bounty of anyone.

He also accused Modi of putting pressure upon the financial commissions who have the constitutional rights to take independent decisions on allocations to the states.

Stating that the allocation of central funds is the constitutional right of states, he said the approach of the Centre is to interfere in the topics and criteria under the consideration of the Commission and deny Kerala the amount it deserves.

Chief Minister further charged that the election advertisements of the BJP are also spreading misconceptions about the state.

The BJP and the Prime Minister are propagating false things about Kerala out of their desperation due to realisation that they are going to gain nothing in Kerala in the upcoming polls, he alleged.

Continuing his fierce criticism against Rahul Gandhi, the Marxist veteran said the Congress leader is yet to take a strong stand to convince people that he is capable of leading the country.

"What more the country can expect from Rahul Gandhi who fled north India and came to Wayanad for contesting the second consecutive term without even trying to oppose Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar, whom he claims as his main opponents?" Vijayan asked.

He said the Left, right from the beginning of the election campaign, has upheld a concrete approach to free the country from the clutches of Sangh Parivar.

But, the Congress was silent even about the Citizenship Amendment law brought out by the BJP as a part of their communal divisive agenda, the CM charged.

He also did not spare Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for criticising him while addressing election rallies in the state on Saturday.

Describing her question about why the central agencies were not arresting the Kerala CM as a "great joke", Vijayan said the country knows very well about who she is and her husband's alleged involvement in a land scam connected with a real estate firm.

Apparently mentioning about Robert Vadra's alleged involvement in the scam, he said Priyanka should be thankful to the investigating agencies who had exempted the arrest of certain persons, instead of urging them to apprehend him.

When asked about who would be the prime ministerial candidate if the INDIA bloc came to power, Vijayan said it would be decided as per the then political situation in the country.

"The present focus is to defeat the BJP and the Sangh Parivar," the CM added.

Vijayan claimed that there is a favourable wave for the LDF in the state during the ongoing campaign for Lok Sabha polls and the BJP and the Congress are worried about this.

Lok Sabha polls are scheduled on April 26 in Kerala.