THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the UDF’s election campaign in the state capital on Tuesday by coming down heavily on the LDF government over the recent allegations and issues and, noticeably, by singling out the chief minister’s office.Rahul mentioned “nepotism” while highlighting the raging protest by the job aspirants figuring in the PSC rank list and said they are being overlooked for recruiting CPM loyalists through the back door. Kerala boasts the most number of qualified youths and it needs to be asked why they are not getting jobs, he said.
“If you hold the CPM flag, you can do gold smuggling by sitting even in the CMO. If you are with the LDF, you are guaranteed to get all the jobs. Or else, you will have to go on a hunger strike. But the chief minister will not budge to hold talks with the protestors even if they die,” Rahul told a sea of supporters gathered at the Shankhumukham beach for the culmination event of the Aishwarya Kerala Yatra led by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Rahul dwelled on the deep-sea fishing deal controversy and said the fishermen’s livelihood is going to be affected.Rahul, who criticised the LDF’s government’s manifesto saying that nothing has gone right for the people but only for the Left organisations, added the UDF’s manifesto will be “a guarantee”.
“We are asking thousands and thousands of people what they want. You are telling us what we should do. You will see the best manifesto which would make you proud. There will be no line that will say that it will destroy the lives of the fishermen, farmers or the organisation. It is going to be the commitment towards the people of Kerala. It won’t be a hollow word, but a guarantee,” added Rahul.
While criticising the Centre’s farm laws, the Wayanad MP opined the aim of the Central government was to destroy the agriculture sector and deny justice to the farmers.He also alleged the BJP and LDF governments of engaging in “match-fixing” in the gold smuggling case and asked why the CBI and Enforcement Directorate probes on the CMO have been slow.
“I know how the BJP attacks me 24 hours if I attack them. If the BJP is going slow (against Pinarayi Vijayan), then there is only one reason. You can figure that out,” Rahul said.Earlier, Chennithala said the “sons of the sea” will never pardon Pinarayi. He also expressed his indelible support behind the fisherfolk.
PSC issue govt priority
With assembly polls in sight, the government is making efforts to end the stalemate over the PSC job aspirants’ indefinite fast. On Tuesday, various department heads submitted the lists of existing vacancies to the chief secretary.
Latin church critical of govt
Despite the state government cancelling a deep-sea fishing deal, the Latin Catholic Church has come out with sharp criticism of the deal as it could affect the livelihood of fishermen in the state.
‘BJP’s tactics won’t succeed’
The BJP need not nurse the ambition of weaning away LDF MLAs in Kerala similar to the way it was doing with Congress MLAs in other parts of the country and forming a government here, said CPM acting state secretary A Vijayaraghavan.