Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a mandate for the BJP to usher in an era of development in the State, even as he accused the LDF and the UDF of stunting growth.
Addressing a huge gathering, which marked the end of the second leg of his campaign tour, here on Sunday evening, Mr. Modi launched a broadside against the Congress and Left parties, charging them with indulging in the politics of compromise and adjustment to share power.
“They have been marching ‘left-right’ for the last 70 years, bringing the State’s development to a halt. Only the BJP can liberate Kerala from the morass,” he said.
Kerala occupies a special place in the Centre’s scheme of things, he said, promising to develop ports and waterways in the State. He said such projects would transform the State, benefiting the environment and bringing development to all sections of society.
Unemployment
He said 70 years of misrule had brought Kerala down to its knees.
“The State’s public debt stands at Rs.1.5 lakh crore. Public sector units are being closed down; unemployment rate is higher than the national average; death rate among SC/ST children is higher than that of Somalia; agricultural growth rate is negative, and the State has to import 70 per cent of power that it requires,” the Prime Minister said.
Attacking the Left parties, he said: “Can we trust the CPI(M), which befriends the Congress in West Bengal while fighting the party in Kerala? The Communist parties are enemies of development. Their crusade against use of tractors has stunted the agriculture sector in Kerala, forcing the State to depend on imports from other States for food crops”.
He also accused the CPI(M) of murdering democracy by resorting to violence.
Reminding the gathering that the NDA government had left no stone unturned to rescue Malayalis stranded in Iraq and Yemen, he said that the murder of the Dalit girl had failed to evoke the same kind of response from the State.
Kerala occupies special place in Centre’s scheme of things, says Modi; promises to develop ports
