Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has said Kerala has become a “hotbed of anti-national forces”. The State government, he alleged, has been shielding such forces for the sake of preserving its vote bank.
The BJP leader, who was in the State capital to participate in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s poll campaign on Sunday, said Kerala ought to have been at the “forefront” with its high literacy rate and talent, but “has been going backwards”.
“It is high time that Kerala came into the mainstream and supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I think the State will do wonders this time. We have a lot of expectations. We will win Thiruvananthapuram this time,” he said.
Mr. Fadnavis said Thiruvananthapuram has witnessed stagnant growth despite having the potential to become a technology hub.
“Thiruvananthapuram is not just the State’s political capital, but a place where business and technology have flourished. But, if you look back, Technopark was developed in the 1990s. However, many other States have become technology hubs, but despite starting early, this city could not reach such heights,” he added.
Referring to Doordarshan’s decision to telecast the controversial film Kerala Story, Mr. Fadnavis found no wrong with the move, considering it had been cleared by the Censor Board. “There is no bar on telecasting such films. It can be telecast on any platform, be it a government channel or any other.”
Responding to the explosion of country-made bombs in Panoor that led to the death of one person and hospitalisation of three others, the BJP leader attributed the incident to the “criminalisation of politics”. He expressed optimism that the Election Commission would probe the incident.
