Accusing the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of causing immense suffering to the coastal community, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that their livelihood has been sold to corporate firms.
Addressing a large gathering at Poonthura late Tuesday during the last-leg of her tour to drum up support for United Democratic Front candidates in the district, Ms. Vadra said that the people of the State, particularly the fisherfolk, did not receive proper support from the government during the floods and Cyclone Ockhi.
“Shockingly, ₹15 crore from the flood relief fund went into the accounts of CPI (M) workers. By now, you must have understood that your interests and livelihood have been sold by this government,” she said. She also attacked the government for allegedly failing to deliver its promises. “They (the LDF) had made several promises before the last elections. They promised you 20 lakh jobs, but they did not provide them. They promised support for the fisherfolk, but they supported corporate industries instead. They also promised to revive the small industries here, but did nothing,” the Congress leader alleged.
Drawing parallels
Drawing parallels between the LDF government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Uttar Pradesh government at another campaign rally at Venjaramoodu, Ms. Vadra said Kerala was witnessing a politics of fear, fascism, fraud and favouritism.
“This State was built by the hard work and toil of the people. No single leader of any political party can single-handedly take credit for what Kerala is today. The people of Kerala are the real gold of the State. Unfortunately, the government does not recognise or respect this gold. It is far too interested in foreign gold and smuggling. What is the point of swearing to a Communist manifesto if you are working for a corporate agenda,” she asked, referring to the gold smuggling scandal.
Hitting out at the BJP, she said that Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement condemning the attack by goons from the BJP’s youth wing against nuns in Uttar Pradesh because elections were happening in Kerala. He never opened his mouth in the past when numerous incidents of a similar nature perpetrated by the BJP or its various organisations happened, Ms. Vadra claimed.
At another rally at Kattakada, the Congress leader spoke at length about the promises in the Congress’s election manifesto which, she said, were prepared after months of consultations with people from various walks of life. Alleging that the LDF government survived on PR and propaganda, she added that the people of Kerala were aware that the wrong policies of the Centre and the State governments were responsible for their daily struggles.
