Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended an election campaign of the NDA at Kunnamkulam in Kerala’s Thrissur district on April 15 (Monday) promised to “return” the investors’ money at Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank which has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
“The money of the poor people has been looted openly in Kerala. New models of corruption have been tried out here. The CPI(M) has looted the investors who deposited (in bank) their hard-earned money, saved even for wedding purposes of their daughters. The CPI(M) pushed thousands of poor people into misery. The Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) has been lying for the last three years by promising to return the money,” said Mr. Modi.
“So far, the ED has seized ₹90 crore. I have been discussing with officials how to return this money to the victims of the scam. The BJP government has so far returned ₹17,000-crore scam money to investors in various States. I will do everything possible to return the money of Karuvannur investors,” he said.
He said that a “major leader” of the Congress who could not “save a family seat in Uttar Pradesh” has found shelter in Kerala. “But the Congress leader never uttered a word against the cooperative bank scam. For winning the election, the Congress has made a back-door alliance with even a banned organisation,” he said, adding that the only objective of the INDIA bloc is to “defend their corruption cases.”
“The entire country is achieving rigorous development under the BJP rule. But the LDF and UDF are blocking the development in Kerala. They are taking the State backwards. Wherever the Left government is ruling, nothing will be left there. And nothing will be right there. This happened in West Bengal and Tripura and is now happening in Kerala,” said Mr. Modi.
“Violence has become rampant in Kerala. Political murders are common. Tension prevails on college campuses. People need to keep away from LDF and the UDF,” he said.
“The Congress has made the country weak. But the BJP made it strong. Now the world is looking at the country with respect. Whatever development the country has witnessed in the last 10 years is just a trailer. The NDA’s election manifesto promises a slew of developments for Kerala,” he said.
“The BJP has a clear vision for the development of the country for the next five years. The Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train is becoming a reality. Such trains will come in the north , south and eastern parts of the country. A survey for the train will be started soon here. Ayushman project, which gives free healthcare for the elderly, Mudra Yojana, which will give loans up to ₹20 lakh for youth, Jan Aushadi Kendras which will give up to 80% discount on medicines will help the poor,” he says, while promising water connection to every house.
“The BJP’s manifesto is a manifesto for the development of the country. It has Modi’s guarantee, he said.
Urging people to vote for the NDA candidates, Mr. Modi said “each vote you give to the NDA will be for the support of poor people.”
NDA candidates Suresh Gopi (Thrissur); T.N. Sarasu (Alathur); K.A. Unnikrishnan (Chalakudy), Nivedita Subramanian (Ponnani); and M. Abdul Salam (Malappuram) attended the programme.
Mr. Modi, who landed at Sreekrishna College Ground, Guruvayur, from Kochi by helicopter, reached Cheruvathur Ground, Kunnamkulam, at 11.20 a.m. to attend the programme.
This is the third visit of the Prime Minister to Thrissur in 2024. There were strict traffic regulations in and around Kunnamkulam from early morning.
