Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of communally polarising society to cover up the financial crisis and lack of development in Kerala.
He told the media on Thursday that both the party and the government were supporting the Palestinian people against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza in a bid to garner votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Referring to former Hamas leader Khaled Mashal addressing an event organised by the Solidarity Youth Movement at Malappuram, Mr. Surendran alleged that nowhere else in the country had a Hamas representative been given a chance to do so. No action had been taken against anyone in connection with the event. The government, however, booked Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar who questioned it, claimed Mr. Surendran.
The BJP leader alleged that development works had come to a halt in the State. The government had not been granting funds for releasing wages to labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Similar was the case with the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, the noon meal scheme in schools, and subsidy for rice growers under the paddy procurement scheme. Local bodies were not being given funds.
Mr. Surendran claimed that Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal was not taking any steps to recover ₹70,000 crore as tax dues from big corporates. He also alleged that ₹28 crore was being splurged on the Keraleeyam event in the State capital to cover up the financial crisis.
