Christians, Hindus are victims of vote-bank politics: BJP

EDS Adds details from Surendrans press conference Thrissur Kerala, Jan 29 PTI Seeking to reach outto Christians ahead of the Kerala Assembly polls, the BJP onFriday alleged that the people belonging to the secondlargest minority community and the Hindus in the state werevictims of vote-bank politics.Such politics, the saffron party said, is being playedout by the Congress-led UDF and the CPIM-led LDF.The Christians and the people belonging to themajority community in Kerala are equally worried.

(EDS: Adds details from Surendran's press conference) Thrissur (Kerala), Jan 29 (PTI): Seeking to reach outto Christians ahead of the Kerala Assembly polls, the BJP onFriday alleged that the people belonging to the secondlargest minority community and the Hindus in the state werevictims of vote-bank politics.

Such politics, the saffron party said, is being playedout by the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF.

''The Christians and the people belonging to themajority community in Kerala are equally worried. They arethe victims of the vote-bank politics based on religiouscommunalism. The BJP will try to address this problem,'' BJPstate president K Surendran said at the party's statecommittee meeting held here.

Later, Surendran told reporters that while the UDF isallegedly controlled by communal outfits like Indian UnionMuslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami, the ruling LDF isguided by radical organisations like the Popular Front ofIndia (PFI).'' ''Both the rival political fronts are controlled bycommunal forces and this will be a key campaign issue in thecoming Assembly polls,'' he said.

Referring to the recent meeting of three cardinals ofRoman Catholic Church, including two top priests from Kerala,with Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Surendran claimed during themeeting that they had conveyed to the Prime Minister aboutthe alleged stark discrimination being meted out to them inthe state by the administration.

''Both the majority community and the Christian communityare subjected to discrimination under the rule of both theLDF and the UDF, which are under the control of the Muslimcommunal outfits,'' the BJP leader said.

Also, he lashed out at the Congress by alleging that theparty-led UDF was fully under the control of the MuslimLeague and its major decisions are taken by Panakkad Thangalfamily -- the political and spiritual leaders of IUML.

Congress even changes its leader in the state as per thewishes of the Muslim League, Surendran alleged, days afterthe CPI(M) targeted the Congress over the alleged upperhandof the IUML in decision-making in the UDF.

The BJP leader's allegations targeting the Congress comesamid growing discontent among a section of UDF supporters inthe Christian-dominated central Kerala over the growing cloutof the IUML in the UDF.

Last year, the state BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits hadbacked the influential Syro-Malabar Church when it kicked upa debate over the alleged incidents of ''love jihad.'' Against the backdrop of central agencies' investigationinto the smuggling of gold and currencies allegedly throughdiplomatic channels, Surendran said the party would makecorruption as the main plank of its campaign for the Assemblypolls.

He hinted that the central agencies' probe is centeredaround the Chief Minister, four Ministers and the AssemblySpeaker and their role would be revealed during theinvestigation.

Launching an attack on the state government overcorruption, Surendran alleged that the state protocoldepartment had provided special consideration for somenotorious foreign citizens and those accused of smuggling ofgold and dollars.

The state is in the grip of corrupt politicians,Surendran alleged.

The BJP also attacked the Congress-led UDF over theissue of corruption.

Referring to the elevation of former Chief MinisterOommen Chandy as the leader of UDF's election campaign, hesaid with this decision of the Congress high command, peoplehave got an opportunity to discuss corruption during theprevious Congress-led government.

Now, the people have an opportunity to compare thecorruption during the previous UDF government and the presentLDF government, he said.

Claiming that the BJP could perform well in the recentlyheld civic polls, he said the party-led NDA has increased itsvotebase and that BJP is the one and only party which can nowtake on the ruling CPI(M).

In his address, BJP state in-charge C P Radhakrishnansaid the party is fighting for capturing power in theCommunist-ruled state.

If the BJP could oust the CPI(M) from power in Tripura,the same would happen in Kerala too, he said.

On the stand of the state government on the Sabarimalawomen's entry issue, Radhakrishnan alleged that the CPI(M)was trying to destroy the culture and the customs of thestate.

Meanwhile, BJP state vice-president Sobha Surendran, whohad reportedly complained to the party's central leadershipabout the functioning style of the state leadership, skippedthe state committee meeting convened to discuss the mattersrelated to the Assembly polls.