KOCHI, Apr 5 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reached out to the Christian community on the occasion of Easter, requesting them to stand with the BJP-led NDA and help it form a government in Kerala where assembly elections will be held on April 9.
Shah, speaking at a public meeting in Kunnathunadu constituency in Ernakulam, also referred to the alleged misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala and said the culprits behind it would be jailed within two months if the NDA forms a government in Kerala.
He also said that Kerala will get its first AIIMS and it will be operational within two years of an NDA government coming in the state.
The Union Home Minister also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “liar” and took a dig at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, claiming that the Marxist veteran has begun a ‘name change startup’ whereby he changes the names of centrally sponsored schemes and projects to take credit.
He made similar allegations and claims at the public meeting in Kattakada in Thiruvananthpuram disrict in the evening.
Campaigning for the BJP-led NDA, Shah, on the occasion of Easter, wished the Christian community and requested them to stand with the NDA.
“I appeal to my brothers and sisters in the Christian community to stand with the NDA and help form a prosperous Kerala,” he said.
His appeal comes amidst concerns among the Christian community with regard to the recent amendments proposed by the Centre in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
He further said that the NDA stand was “justice for all and appeasement of none” and this was evident in the work they are doing across India.
Shah said that when the Popular Front of India (PFI) allegedly started doing anti-India activities, “within one day we put all their cadres behind bars”.
However, both LDF and UDF opposed the ban on PFI with one of them going with its political wing, SDPI, while the other has joined forces with Jamaat-e-Islami, the Home Minister said and claimed that “Kerala is not safe” under the governance of the two fronts.
He further claimed that when the LDF and UDF “kept silent” as the Waqf Board tried to take over the land of 600 Munambam residents in Ernakulam district, it was the NDA government that came with amendments to the Waqf Act to safeguard their property.
Shah alleged that the LDF and UDF were “two-faced parties” which contest together in polls outside Kerala, but fight each other in the southern state.
He alleged that both fronts were involved in various scams like Karuvanur cooperative bank scandal, solar scam, etc, but neither arrests the other.
The BJP leader also alleged that “gold from Sabarimala was stolen under LDF rule and the UDF helped sell it”.
Shah said that the LDF and UDF cannot stop corruption or build a safe and developed Kerala.
“A developed, safe and modern Kerala can be built only under a NDA government,” he contended.
He said that both Rahul Gandhi and Vijayan refer to each other’s parties as the ‘B-team’ of BJP.
“I would like to tell Vijayan that BJP will be the ‘A-team’ in Kerala and you will be the ‘B-team’,” he said.
Taking a dig at the CM, Shah said that Vijayan has done nothing for the state or Thiruvananthapuram as the Communists cannot bring development and the only thing the Marxist veteran has done is start a startup to change names of centrally sponsored schemes and projects.
“Modi sends project and money for it and Vijayan does the work of adding his name to it,” he alleged.
“This will not work anymore as the people know that it is the Modi government which is doing all the work,” he contended.
Shah attacked Rahul and called him a “liar”, saying he was lying about the rise in fuel prices in India and trying to mislead the people.
“Rahul baba, what you said about rise in fuel price is right. It has risen to Rs 460 per litre, but in Pakistan and not in Kerala or India. Modi has not increased price of petrol in Pakistan as you claimed. Modi cannot do that,” he said.
The Home Minister said that world over fuel prices have increased leading to governments rationing it, ordering work from home or declaring holiday for three days.
“But in India, prices have not increased and there is no rationing. This is Narendra Modi’s management,” he asserted.
Shah further claimed that Rahul made statements about the West Asia conflict and the Gulf nations in such a manner so as to make them angry at India.
“I would like to tell him (Rahul) that you are not going to win the elections anyway and so, you should think about the future of the over one crore Indians working and living in the Gulf region. Don’t tell so many lies,” he said.
He also referred to the AI-summit held in Delhi and the alleged incident of Congress activists taking off their clothes in protest at the event and termed Rahul’s support of that as “shamelessness”. (PTI )
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