Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of soft-pedalling on radical activities, paving the way for a breakdown of law and order in Kerala.
Inaugurating a Secretariat siege organised by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against the purported misgovernance and policy paralysis in State on October 30, Mr. Nadda alleged that the government had been underplaying extremist activities which, he claimed, had unfolded in the recent past.
While condemning the Kalamassery blasts that killed three people and injured several others at a Christian religious gathering a day ago, the BJP leader claimed that the incident reflected on the growing threats faced by the people of Kerala. Accusing the LDF government of covering up the Elathur train arson case that occurred in Kozhikode in April 2023, he said the Central government was willing to extend full support for independent inquiries in such cases.
He was also critical of the Kerala government remaining a “silent spectator” during a rally taken out by the Solidarity Youth Movement in Malappuram that had come under intense scrutiny on account of the virtual participation by Palestinian leader and former Hamas chief Khaled Mashal.
‘Two sides of same coin’
Mr. Nadda also accused the LDF government of being steeped in corruption in various sectors, including education, health, transport, and recruitments. Moreover, both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the LDF, which were “two sides of the same coin”, had both been soft towards communal forces. The coalitions also maintained a tactical understanding, particularly in aligning against the BJP, he said.
He also delved into the Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank scam and the allegations of corruption levelled against Mr. Vijayan’s daughter and entrepreneur T. Veena for purportedly receiving bribes from a Kochi-based mining firm.
The BJP leader also sought to bring focus towards the increasing incidence of drug abuse among the youth as well as the mounting number of cases of atrocities against women and children in Kerala.
The NDA government at the Centre, on the other hand, has been successful in leading the country towards development and self-sufficiency under the Narendra Modi regime. While the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by 60%, it has become the fifth largest economy. Besides, over 13.5 crore people had come out of the below poverty line (BPL) category in the country, he said.
“Good governance by the dispensation has also ensured extreme poverty has reduced to less than 1% (of the total population),” he said.
BJP Kerala president K. Surendran charged both the LDF and the UDF of harbouring communal hatred by promoting the interests of Hamas under the guise of backing their cause of the Palestinians. By doing so, the coalitions have “whitewashed” their violent deeds. He also accused the government of showing undue haste in concluding the investigation in the Kalamassery blasts case.
Senior NDA leaders Thushar Vellappally, O. Rajagopal, C.K. Padmanabhan, P.K. Krishnadas, and A.P. Abdullakutty, were among those present.
