ALAPPUZHA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the ruling Left in Kerala on Wednesday, alleging that both were taking the support of the banned organization, the Popular Front of India, to secure victory in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
While addressing an election rally for BJP candidate Shobha Surendran in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha Constituency at Punnapra, the senior BJP leader also accused the Congress and Communist parties of providing shelter to terrorists in Kerala.
"Congress and Communist parties were giving shelter to terrorists in Kerala. Their selfish agenda of securing a minority vote-bank has led them to support the Popular Front of India. Congress has the backing of the Social Democratic Party of India. Those who want to make India an Islamic State are supporting the Congress. We, on the other hand, are committed to ensuring unity and development in the country," Shah added.
Shah also criticized the INDIA bloc as an alliance of deceit, claiming that they pretend to be fighting each other in Kerala and West Bengal while collaborating in other parts of the country.
"Congress and communist parties are partners in the bloc in other states, yet they are fighting each other in Kerala. Congress and CPM have been cheating the people of the state for many decades. Both the communists and the Congress party are losing their presence in the world and the country. This Lok Sabha election is crucial for making India the world's third-largest economy. Giving Narendra Modi and the BJP a third term will propel India to number one in the world in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. Voting for Modi means votingfor development, prosperity, and the preservation of culture and heritage across Kerala," he said.
Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah targeted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s family, accusing many of his close relatives and CPM leaders were involved in various scams.
‘Those who run the cooperative sector of the state is exploiting poor depositors. The Enforcement Directorate is investigating it. Money was looted by the leaders of the CPM from Karuvannoor bank. The Congress is maintaining silence. The BJP government will punish the culprits,” Shah said.
The Left government in Kerala is engaged in mineral sand-mining on the Kerala coast and exporting it with the help of private parties, he alleged. Many leaders of Left parties and Congress have benefitted from it.