Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that the party has put up Indian democracy for sale, while he also said that the Congress had reduced itself to goods that are up for sale. Hitting out at both the parties, Vijayan said in many states, people had elected the Congress to power, but they "sold themselves to the BJP."
"When BJP has put up Indian democracy for sale, Congress has reduced themselves into goods that are up for sale. BJP is willing to shell out as much money as required. After all, they have raised plenty of it. Congress is trying to get the highest bid," the Chief Minister, who reached Kannur for campaigning from his home constituency, Dharmadam, told reporters.
Listing the names of states including Goa, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, Pinarayi Vijayan said the Congress party cannot be trusted, as its leaders can join BJP anytime.
"What about the stand of those Congress leaders on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)? They oppose it when they are with the Congress and later support it when they join the BJP.The Congress has lost its credibility," Vijayan said.
Slamming the Congress and its ally Indian Union Muslim League in the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, Vijayan claimed that people don't give much importance to the statements of the leaders of these parties.
"The KPCC had declared that they will construct 1000 houses for those who lost their residences in the floods. Can they show at least a hundred houses they have built? They have collected funds for the same from the people. Is there any accountability for such funds? Similarly the IUML leadership was also criticised for the funds collected for the Kathua victim," the CPI(M) veteran said.
Rejecting the allegation of a BJP leader that there was a CPI(M)-BJP understanding in some seats, the CM said that the Left will not compromise with communal parties for a few votes. Pinarayi also said there was a campaign going on in the state that the food and provision kits given to all by the state government were provided by the Union government.
"We have not gone for a massive campaign saying that we are providing kits for all. Yes, it started (providing kits to all) since the lockdown. But why are they (BJP) saying it was provided by the Union government? If that is so, why are they not given in other states? At least give the kits in BJP ruled-states," Vijayan added.
R Balashankar, currently working with the BJP's national training department, alleged that he was denied the Chengannur seat in Alappuzha district by BJP, as part of a deal between the CPI(M) and the party for the assembly polls.
According to Balashankar, Chengannur and Aranmula are the two constituencies where the BJP was on a strong footing but there was a deal between the BJP state leadership and the CPI(M) due to which he was overlooked. Attacking the leadership of the BJP, Balashankar claimed he was denied ticket from his home constituency Chengannur after giving an understanding that he would be fielded from there.
Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed the allegation and said that the Left had in the 2019 assembly bye-poll defeated BJP state president, K Surendran, at Konni in Pathanamthitta district, which was the epicentre of protests during the Sabarimala agitation after the Supreme Court in 2018 allowed women of all age groups to offer worship at the Lord Ayyappa temple.
"Who contested in Konni for BJP in the last election? It was the BJP state president. We defeated him in that constituency. We have always fought against communalism. We will not compromise with communal parties for a few votes," Vijayan said.
Meanwhile, state BJP sources sought to downplay Balashankar's allegation, describing it as an emotional outburst from a person who did not get a party ticket for the election
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