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Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan attacks Rahul Gandhi, says he lacks understanding
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that ruling CPI(M) and the BJP had a secret deal in Kerala, which goes to the polls on April 9
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he lacks the understanding of even a local party worker despite being a national leader.
“Rahul Gandhi is a national leader. But the reality is that he lacks the understanding of even a local worker. He is not willing to understand things properly. He refuses to learn despite getting smacked. These are not qualities fitting a political leader. I cannot understand how someone, whom all Congress workers see as their national face, can degrade so much?” Vijayan said.
The attack came a day after Gandhi alleged that the lack of progress in the corruption cases against Vijayan was proof of the collusion between Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Vijayan said Gandhi and the Congress were among the first ones to demand the arrest of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case related to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s 2021-22 excise policy. “Kejriwal was arrested and charged. Now see what happened.”
Vijayan noted that a court discharged Kejriwal. “Was the BJP the only party to get slapped in the face? Wasn’t it a slap on Rahul Gandhi, too? Are they learning from that experience?” he asked.
Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the CPI(M) and the BJP had a secret deal in Kerala. “I have 40 cases against me. The Enforcement Directorate interrogated me for five days in a row. The BJP attacks me every second of every day. I want to ask the people: Why does the BJP not attack the Kerala chief minister? Why are corruption cases against him not going anywhere? This is the best proof of collusion between the BJP and LDF,” Gandhi said in a virtual address to an election rally in Kozhikode days before Kerala goes to the polls on April 9.
Gandhi said that both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP believe they are not answerable to the people. He said that one in three young Keralites face unemployment due to the LDF government’s wrong policies and their “notorious backdoor appointments”.
