Nadda slams LDF,UDF, asks people to help Lotus bloom in Kerala

BJP president J P Nadda onThursday hit out at the ruling Left front government and theOpposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala, saying both werecorrupt and lacked vision and said it was time the people ofthe state allow them to ''rest'' and help the Lotusbloom.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government was''non-performing'' and ''the law and order in the state hadcrumbled'', he said.

Also targeting the UDF, which is going all out tomake the Sabarimala women entry issue a major poll plank inthe elections likely to be held in April-May this year,Nadda said it ''back-stabbed'' the devotees.

He claimed it was the saffronparty workers againstwhom all the cases were registered.

The Congress had recently asked Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan to seek legal remedies to ''heal the wounds''created in society due to its alleged hasty decision toimplement the apex court verdict of September 2018 allowingwomen of all agegroups to enter the Ayyappa shrine atSabarimala.

The southern state had witnessed protests by rightwing and BJP workers against allowing women in the banned 10-50 age group being allowed in the temple.

The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were giving''special focus'' and attention to Kerala and overRs 19,000 crore has been kept apart for the state to ease itsrevenue deficit, Nadda said addressing a massive rally ofparty workers at the Thekkinkadu maidan here this evening.

''The LDF and UDF are corrupt, both arenon-performing, they have no vision and their only aim is tograb power.Time has come for the people of Kerala to allowthem to rest and give us work,'' he said.

''This government is a government ofnon-performance.... of inaction.... atrocitiesagainst womenand Dalits are increasing,'' he said.

''The leaders and political parties have brought a badname to Kerala.The LDF led by Pinarayi Vijayan and the UDF ledby Oommen Chandyand Ramesh Chennithalahave brought a badname to Kerala.It's full of corruption.Law and order hascrumbled,'' Nadda said.

He also slammed the state's COVID-19 management,saying the cases were rising in the state.

''How they have messed up the COVID-19 situation.

There is a narrative here.To adopt Kerala model.What's theKerala Model? More than 50 per cent cases are from Kerala.'' ''Still the health minister claims that the rise incases are due to population density. What kind ofjustification is that? I am sorry to say I have been thehealth minister and helped the state during Nipah.'' He said over Rs 2,600 crorewas given for floodrelief.

''Nothing has been utilised.We need to remove thisgovernment.We request people to remove the government and helpthe Lotus bloom,'' Nadda said.

Citing the gold smuggling case in which Vijayan'sformer principal secretary M Sivasankar had been arrested bycentral agencies probing it and 'Solar sexual exploitation'case in which senior Congress leader and former Chief MinisterOommen Chandy is among the five party leaders named, the BJPleader sarcastically said one Chief Minister has love andaffection towards gold and the other gets energy from Solar.

''I am sorry to say, it has given a very badname tothe state with the various corruptions and scandals,'' he said.

Nadda also flayed the LDF government for moving aresolution in the state assembly against the CAG for itsadverse remarks in its audit report of the KeralaInfrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), saying thegovernment was attacking constitutional bodies in the state.

He also listed various projects sanctioned by theCentre for the state including the Mumbai-Kanyakumari economiccorridor for which rs 50,000 crore has been set apart.

During the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modihad transferred Rs 500 each for three months to 20 crore womenacross the country in their Jan Dhan accounts and 47 lakhpeople were benefited in the state.

Eight crore gas connections were given to the womenhere, he said.

TheBJP leader said he had come to the same venuein 2016 during the assembly polls and there was a ''sea change''in the enthusiasm of the people now.

Former DGP Jacob Thomas, who recently joined theBJP, was welcomed by Nadda on the stage by wrapping a shawlaround him.

Nadda, who was on a two-day visit to poll-boundKerala, addressed party office bearers from the 140 assemblyconstituencies earlier in the day.

Senior leader Shobha Surendran, who had been keepingaway from party functions over the past 10 months unhappy withthe state leadership, too attendedthe rally.