Stephen Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)
Kasargod, May 8:
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, ridiculed both the Congress and CPM for playing politics of convenience by striking an alliance in West Bengal and fighting out each other in Kerala.
He was addressing a BJP electioneering meeting organized at the municipal stadium here on Sunday May 8 morning.
"A time has come in which we have to reject political compromises being made by CPM and Congress. The voters have to clearly think in terms of achieving development. This is a very important election for the people of Kerala. We need a pro-development government that is free of corruption and violence," he stressed.
He noted that in their election campaigns in Kerala, CPM leaders have been branding Congress as a corrupt party. But these parties have forged a friendship for fighting election in West Bengal. "I am getting a doubt whether both Kerala and West Bengal are parts of India," he commented, ridiculing these parties.
He called upon people to end the politics of convenience being resorted to by Congress and CPM. "God's own country is submerged in politics of violence. Political opponents are being slain to silence dissenting voices. During the last some years, over 150 of our activists have been killed. Those who abetted these murders are being projected as the future chief ministers," he noted.
He criticized successive governments which ruled Kerala of failing to set aside time to think about farmers interests, as both these parties are busy with politics of violence. "After BJP rose to power at the centre, we have been giving enough attention to problems of agriculturists. By the 75th independence day of India ie 2022, we plan to double the income of our farmers," he explained.
He said that BJP government has also been doing its best to serve the interests of areca nut growers of the coast. Noting that the central government had done everything within its command to bring back Kerala nurses who had got stuck in Yemen and Libya, he criticized Kerala government for not doing nothing in this issue.
Union minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, Dakshina Kannada MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP candidates, K Surendran, Kuntaru Raveesh Tantry, K Srikant, M Bhaskaran, M P Raghavan, MLC, Ganesh Karnik, Prameela C Nayak, C K Padmanabhan, P Ramesh, Sadanandaji etc were present.
Modi reached the helipad at the government college here at
10.25 am today. He started off in Malayalam, and ended his address with a few sentences in Malayalam, a gesture which was welcomed with glee by people and party activists. He arrived at the dais at
10.40 am, spoke for 25 minutes, and left at
11.20 am. From there, he left for Mangaluru by helicopter. From Mangaluru, he would be visiting Alapuzha by aircraft.
Security arrangement all over the town had been beefed in view of the PM's visit.
A sea of humanity had flown into the town to witness Modi's visit, the first after his elevation as Prime Minister. Activists and leaders of BJP had also come from neighbouring states, particularly Karnataka, and districts within Kerala. Elaborate security arrangements have been made, and traffic restrictions have been placed for the smooth conduct of the programme.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister landed at Mangaluru airport on way to the town by an Indian Airforce aircraft at around 9.45 am. He was accorded warm welcome on arrival by Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, city police commissioner, Chandra Sekhar, and city deputy Mayor, Sumitra.He had flown to Kasargod by helicopter direct from the airport.
At Mangaluru Airport
