Taking a dig at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Rahul Gandhi is a "tourist politician" who had represented Amethi for 15 years in Parliament, before shifting to Wayanad in Kerala. He alleged that for the Congress and the Gandhi family, people were just a vote bank and government a money bank.
Amit Shah also ridiculed the Left and the Congress for their poll pact in West Bengal and said that the Communists and the Congress need to merge and form a new party which can be called 'Comrade Congress Party’.
Launching his attack on Rahul Gandhi who was in neighbouring Kozhikode district for campaigning earlier in the day, Shah said: "This Wayanad is also the constituency of Rahul baba. He was representing Amethi for 15 years. Nothing changed there. Now he has come here."
"I have never seen a tourist politician like Rahul baba. Sometimes he will be in Amethi, sometimes in Wayanad. He is here as a tourist and don't expect any development from his side," the Union Minister said.
Shah, who arrived in Kerala from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was addressing party workers at Meenangadi in Wayanad, campaigning for the BJP-NDA candidate CK Janu, a tribal leader who is contesting from Sultan Bathery.
If Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates win, Wayanad will be made the most developed district in the country, he said.
Attacking the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), Shah said that development has taken a back seat in Kerala since the last two decades. The state was once a favourite destination of tourists in the country, besides also being the most literate. But the LDF-UDF fronts, which have been ruling the state alternatively for several years, have stalled the state's development and was engaged in corruption, appeasement politics and political violence, the BJP leader alleged.
Attacking the Communists and the Congress, he said "they are confused."
"I would like to ask the Congress and the Communists if you are doing politics of ideology or politics of power. Congress and Communists begin with the letter 'C' and confusion also begins with C. They are confused about their policies, leadership and ideology and this will not help the state in any manner. They need to merge and form a new party which can be called 'Comrade Congress Party," Shah said, lacing his speech with sarcasm.
He then turned the heat on the LDF over the gold, dollar smuggling cases and the UDF for the solar scam.
The gold smuggling case relates to the seizure of around 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic baggage at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in July last year and the dollar scam pertains to alleged smuggling of USD 1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs 1.30 crore) by a former finance head of the UAE consulate. The solar scandal, which hit the previous UDF government, relates to a couple cheating people of crores of rupees by promising to install solar panels and offering franchise and jobs.
Shah alleged that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, gold smuggling took place and if the Congress-UDF comes to power, they will appoint those involved in the solar scam as Chief Minister.
He also repeated his questions with regard to the gold smuggling case to CM Pinarayi and sought answers from him before the April 6 assembly polls.
On the Sabarimala issue, the union minister said the state witnessed violent protests after the Left government decided to implement the Supeme Court verdict (of allowing women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa temple).
The Union Home Minister later held a road show at Kozhikode for party candidate MT Ramesh.