KALPETTA: On the first leg of campaigning in Wayanad, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi spared the ruling LDF in Kerala and targeted the BJP-led government at the Centre. Addressing a public meeting in Panamaram on Monday, she said the Centre is politicising even tragedies.
The Centre is not yet ready to either declare the landslide in Wayanad as a national disaster or release the fund for rehabilitation, she said. “Then why Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited here,” Priyanka asked.
“We have a BJP government at the Centre that does not respect the Constitution. It is breaching the values of the Constitution every day. Their political strategy is to divide people. They spread fear and hatred to remain in power,” she said.
Priyanka alleged that the greatest beneficiaries of the divisive politics are the powerful men for whom all the policies of the Centre are made. “In state after state, lands belonging to the tribal people are being handed over to the friends of the prime minister,” she said.
She also referred to the violence in Manipur and alleged that “planned” attacks are taking place against minorities in the country. “You know the BJP government at the Centre is spreading fear, anger and distress among the community. You have seen the attack on minorities. You have seen the attacks in Manipur. You have seen again and again anger, spread of hatred and fear concerted in a planned fashion,” she alleged.
Priyanka had been communicating with the Wayanad people through her Facebook and X accounts for the past two days, ahead of her visit. On Saturday, she had posted a note as an open letter to the people of Wayanad, praising their struggles to overcome the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides. And hours before her first corner meeting at Meenangadi, she wrote: “The enthusiasm of the public is worth watching. Today I will communicate with the people of Wayanad.”
Priyanka interacted with and greeted the public on her way to the corner meeting venues. She also interacted with the students of Nilgiri College of Arts and Science (Autonomous) and WMO Arts and Science College, Muttil.
“I’m trying to understand your concerns and issues,” she repeated at several venues.
Priyanka has been canvassing votes in her own way and style.
Meanwhile, the Wayanad collector, the returning officer for the by-election, accepted the nomination of Priyanka Gandhi on Monday. Earlier, BJP leader M T Ramesh had alleged that the asset details of Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra were incomplete and that the Congress candidate was hiding information.
“The Election Officer has accepted my nomination. If there was any malpractice, how would they accept?” Priyanka asked, responding to media persons query at Muttil.