Congress Criticizes Kerala Government Over PR Campaign Spending

The Congress in Kerala has accused the state government of misusing taxpayer money for public relations advertisements. Party leaders argue that these ads aim to bolster the ruling party's image before elections, redirecting focus from their internal issues and neglecting wage concerns of key workers.

The Kerala Congress on Thursday condemned the state government's Public Relations Department (PRD) for placing advertisements in major English and Malayalam newspapers. The ads criticized former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's administration, prompting allegations from Congress leaders that the campaign is a taxpayer-funded attempt to sway voters ahead of assembly elections.

Sunny Joseph, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), joined by other party officials, including K C Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala, suggested the advertisements are meant to divert attention from the recent electoral losses of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Left Democratic Front, while sidelining public-sector wage issues.

K C Venugopal, Alappuzha's representative in the Lok Sabha, stated that such politically charged ad campaigns are unprecedented in Kerala. Congress leaders like Chennithala condemned the use of public money for these ads, alleging it conceals achievements of the Chandy administration, warns against biased PRD practices, and threatens legal action.

(With inputs from agencies.)