The upcoming local body election will be an election against communalism, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said.
He said the focus of the election should be on the challenges faced by secularism in the State due to the right-wing forces.
He was speaking after inaugurating the closing ceremony of the ‘Jana sandarshana yatra’ led by the District Congress Committee (DCC) president Karakulam Krishnapillai.
No performance
“The BJP government at the Centre has been all about speeches and zero performance. The Prime Minister spends his time touring various countries across the world. He does not have time to solve the problems of the people here. It is disappointing that he criticises the ideals like secularism that India holds dear, when he is abroad. Our leaders in the past used to talk about the country during their visits abroad. But, it is unfortunate that he talks about our internal politics when he is touring,” said Mr. Chennithala.
On the recent decision of the Central government to stop issuing of postal stamps on Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he said the government could erase them from stamps, but not from the hearts of the people.
He accused the BJP and the RSS of trying to spread the fire of communalism in the State.
Communal methods
“They have found success in north Indian States using communal methods. They are trying to replicate the same here. The BJP and the RSS have now got together with some caste organisations to divide people and inject communal poison. This is the biggest challenge that the State is facing now. The people of Kerala should stand together to fight them,” he said.
K. Muraleedharan, MLA, said the UDF government had taken the State forward in the area of development.
“We have implemented or started off big projects in all the three regions of the State. In Thiruvananthapuram, the work on the Vizhinjam project will start soon and the first reach of the Karamana-Kaliyakkavila road has been completed. The Kochi metro will start running from next year. In Malabar region, one more airport will start functioning from Kannur. We have also had major achievements in social welfare and health sectors. The city Corporation needs an administration that can work hand-in-hand with the State government,” he said.
