Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded the poll bugle in Kerala on Tuesday, accusing the LDF Government and the party of ‘the most shameful’ conduct on Sabarimala and the Congress of playing double standards, saying one thing in Parliament and another in Pathanamthitta.
At the NDA rally at Cantonment Maidan in Kollam, Mr Modi hoped Kerala would repeat Tripura, saying the BJP knows Kerala culture the best and that the Communists and Congress are pretenders to gender justice. He was outlining his party’s electoral game plan, which is to exploit the social polarisation following the top court’s pro-woman verdict and the state government’s compliance with implementing the verdict.
The party workers, drawn from nearby districts sat impatiently through the welcome by NDA state president Tushar Vellapally and convener P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, awaiting the Modi speak.
“For the past months the entire nation is talking about Sabarimala. The conduct of Kerala LDF government on the Sabarimala issue will go down in history as one of the most shameful behaviours by any party or government. We knew that the communists do not respect Indian history, culture and spirituality but nobody imagined they have such hatred.
“The UDF is no better, the Congress has multiple stands; they say one thing in Parliament but different thing in Pathanamnthitta, they say one thing one day, say a different thing another day. I challenge the UDF, clearly state your stand on the issue; your double speak has been exposed.
Alleging that both LDF and UDF were "two sides of the same coin", Mr Modi said the Congress and Communists were talking about gender justice on Sabarimala issue but their actions were "just opposite."
“The Left and the Congress make tall claims about respect to gender justice and social justice... the NDA government has been working for gender justice and social justice.
“Triple talaq is big injustice to women; several Islamic nations have done away with it. Why should India have such a practice? But because of vote bank politics the Congress and Communists support. The people of Kerala should ask the LDF and UDF, why are they supporting injustice to women? ”
He attacked the Muslim League for voting against the NDA Government 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections. He sought to reach out to the Christian community by the recalling the Government’s timely intervention in bringing home nurses stranded in Iraq and the release of the Jesuit, Fr Tom Uzhannalil, from IS captivity.
Mr Modi said his Government had achieved what was unthinkable four years ago- Ayushman Bharat scheme to benefit 50 crore people, the emergence of India as the fastest growing economy and its record on FDI. He said he was seeking another term for his party on the achievements of the past four years.
"The UDF and LDF may laugh at us. To them I say, don't underestimate the BJP karyakarta. Your stones, your sticks, your violence cannot break the moral of the BJP karyakarta. They should see what happened in Tripura. From zero, we formed the government there. What happened in Tripura will happen in Kerala," Mr Modi said.
