‘lDF, UDF are unholy alliances’
After bearing the burden of the alternating rules of the Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led lDF for decades which have brought only ruin, stagnancy and regression to Kerala, time is ripe for Keralites to think of the BJP as the third alternative, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Addressing a massive Mahasammelan rally of the BJP on Sankhummukham beach in Thiruvananthapuram, the Gujarat Chief Minister told Keralites: “You have seen the misrule of the UDF and heard all tales about the lDF... Kerala now needs a third alternative. The BJP is bringing that third alternative.”
Modi’s inaugural speech at the Mahasammelan literally became the start of the BJP campaign for the lok Sabha polls in Kerala. State BJP leaders said that Modi’s address and his personal appearance in the State at two venues on the same day had already enhanced the confidence level of the leaders as-well-as workers.
“Do you think Kerala can budge even an inch in the direction of development and progress if it does not stop this practice of experimenting with these two coalitions that have been betraying the people for the past decadesIJ” Modi asked, adding that the UDF and the lDF were in alliance on matters of their common interests.
“What is the secret of this behind-the-screen UDF-lDF relationshipIJ” he asked, alleging that both the fronts were playing politics of settlement in the cases of political murders committed in the State. Kerala had seen this happening in the case of rebel Marxist leader TP Chandrasekharan and the Marad massacre of 2003, he pointed out.
“If it was not for the UDF-lDF links, Chandrasekharan’s family would have got justice. If it is not for that, his widow wouldn’t have to cry for justice. Similarly, who was behind the Marad massacreIJ Malayalees do see the truth but there are people who connive for concealing it from the people,” Modi said.
Coming down heavily on the CPI(M), Modi said the Marxists do not believe in sincere politics or in the principles of democracy. “Communists oppose mechanisation of agriculture which can harm farming. How far would you trust these people who believe in ruining India, who do not want Kerala to progressIJ” Modi asked.
Modi pointed out that the two main fronts in Kerala had brought only ruin and regression on all fronts of economy - agriculture, infrastructure, service sector and tourism. When the whole world was into outsourcing and when even China was tapping possibilities, lakhs of educated, skilled youths in Kerala were being left unemployed, he said.
Modi said that Gujarat and Kerala had embarked on the project to install lNG storage and regassification units in 1998. Gujarat had brought the project on stream with just Rs 2,000-crore in 2004 but even in 2014, Kerala had not been able to do this and the cost had gone up to Rs 4,500-crore, he said.
“If Kerala had brought this project on stream on schedule, houses here would have been using piped gas by now. If that was so, the UPA Government would not have to feel confused over how many - six, nine or 12 - lPG cylinders were to be given to families,” Modi said, adding that neither the Centre nor Kerala Government had answers for the State’s problems.
Stressing on the need for Keralites to involve themselves in the process of installing a BJP Government at the Centre, Modi said that if that happened, Kerala would get in 60 months what it had not got in the past 60 years. “Don’t you want to take part in that process,” Modi asked repeatedly to the resounding shouts of “Yes” from lakhs of assembled party workers.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, who spoke at the rally before Modi, blamed the two fronts in Kerala for the freeze in the State’s industrial development and accused the CPI(M) of opening an “industry of murder”. “Be assured that what the BJP stands for is not a rule based on majority-minority divide. We stand for a rule based on justice and humanity,” he said.