Congress leaders see tie-up between CPI(M), BJP in Kerala

Kerala Congress leaders allege tie-up between CPI(M) and BJP, accusing them of targeting Congress and neglecting common people.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan have alleged that there is a tie-up between the CPI(M) and the BJP in the State.

Addressing a reception given to the KPCC’s ‘Samaragni’ protest march at Kozhikode beach late on February 11 (Sunday) evening, both the leaders claimed that the only intention of those parties was to decimate the Congress. Urging party workers to see through the design, Mr. Sudhakaran said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was targeting victory in all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming general elections.

He accused the Left Democratic Front government of running away from addressing the issues of the common people. “In the course of our ‘jatha’ [that started from Kasaragod on February 9], we met many poor people, those who have been denied their social security pensions for months, farmers who are not getting fair prices for their crops etc. The State government has made their lives miserable,” Mr. Sudhakaran alleged.

Opening the event, Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty alleged that intolerance was gaining ground in the country and efforts were being made to divide people. He said that the recent protest led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Union government held in New Delhi was a gimmick ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, listed out the development works in his constituency for the past 15 years after he was elected to the post.

Earlier, a reception was given to the ‘jatha’ at Vadakara when it entered Kozhikode district. Opening the event, K. Muraleedharan, Vadakara MP, criticised the protest held in the national capital highlighting the alleged neglect towards the State. He accused Left MPs in the Rajya Sabha of remaining silent when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman made her stand clear that the Centre would not allocate funds any more to Kerala. “A recent report has said that the Centre did not allocate funds to Kerala because the State failed to provide utilisation certificate of Centrally-sponsored projects. Are we, the UDF MPs, responsible for it? Don’t blame us for your failure to get the funds released,” he asked.

Alleging a secret understanding between the BJP and the CPI(M), Mr. Muraleedharan claimed that the Enforcement Directorate had been taking quick action on corruption cases in Congress-ruled States, while they were in a “slow motion” in Kerala. Mr. Sudhakaran said that there was no governance in the State and the CPI(M) leaders were neck-deep in corruption. Mr. Satheesan claimed that the people of the State had become victims of tortures meted out by the Union and State governments. “If the BJP is trying to create communal divisions at the national level, the CPI(M) is doing that job in Kerala,” he alleged.