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Both Congress and CPI(M) have lost credibility in Kerala: Nadda
This is Nadda’s first visit to Kerala after becoming the party president. A former Union health minister, he criticised the state’s role in combating Covid-19.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Wednesday came down heavily on the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and opposition Congress in Kerala, saying they were ideologically bankrupt and compete with each other in corruption and scandals.
Talking to the media at the state capital, Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to kick start the party’s campaign for the assembly elections, said both were thick friends in West Bengal and in Kerala they were sworn enemies and it exposed their double standard and ideological bankruptcy. Kerala and four other states are expected to go to polls in April-May.
“They are two sides of the same coin. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is struggling with gold smuggling and corruption cases, a sex scandal accused Oommen Chandy has been projected as the leader by the Congress. People have lost faith in both and they will go for an alternative this time,” he said. When the media pointed out that BJP national vice-president A P Abdullhakutty’s name also figured in the solar scandal he said investigative agencies were free to probe all angles.
He said the CM has lost credibility and was not fit to continue in power. “Of late he has been attacking constitutional bodies like the CAG to hide his omissions and commissions. Involvement of his office in the gold smuggling case invited enough embarrassment for Malayalies world over. The role of more ministers will come to light as investigation progresses,” he said. He said central agencies came to the state after the CM invited them and it was unfair to criticise them now.
This is Nadda’s first visit to Kerala after becoming the party president. Also a former Union health minister he criticised the state’s role in combating Covid-19. “It is sad that the state is the epicentre of the pandemic now. The government’s inept handling vitiated the situation. It was after publicity and it resulted in a surge,” he said adding despite strong health infrastructure the state failed to live up to its expectations. He said during the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018 he was the Union health minister but this time the state failed to heed repeated warnings of the Union government and paid a heavy price.
He also ridiculed the Congress plan to rake up the Sabarimala issue. He said during the agitation three year ago, party leader Rahul Gandhi never supported it and BJP workers took the maximum brunt leading to the agitation. He said since the issue was before the apex court the Union government’s options were limited. At the height of the agitation, both Prime Minister Modi and then party chief Amit Shah had promised that the Centre will do everything to assuage hurt feelings of believers. On Thursday Nadda will go to Thrissur where he will address a public rally in the evening.
