Priyanka Gandhi launches attack on LDF, BJP governments

She said the LDF had sworn allegiance to the communist manifesto, but was following a "corporate manifesto" like the Modi government

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the CPI(M)-LDF government, describing it as a dispensation of "frauds and scams", which was following a "corporate" manifesto instead of the communist manifesto.

She said the Left Democratic Front government had sworn allegiance to the communist manifesto, but was actually following a "corporate manifesto" like the Modi government at the Centre.

She also slammed the BJP and RSS for the alleged harassment suffered by the nuns belonging to a Kerala based congregation during a train journey in Uttar Pradesh and claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah had condemned it only because it was election time.

Addressing a series of public meetings and road shows, she embarked on her hectic two-day campaign across southern Kerala for the April 6 assembly polls on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also in the state to address a public meeting at Palakkad, the constituency where BJP has fielded 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan. "You have struggled in the last five years..you have suffered. Many central government policies have hurt you and several LDF policies hurt you even more," she said, lashing out at the ruling CPI(M)-LDF and BJP governments in her rallies.

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"Demonetisation...faulty GST, the Corona pandemic and then the lockdown was imposed without any planning."

Gandhi said there is an unprecedented price rise and essential commodities are unaffordable. Gas cylinders may have been distributed free of cost at some point of time, "but today, you cannot fill them," she said and alleged that both the central and state governments are focusing only on handing over the assets to corporates.

The Congress leader also explained the various promises listed in the UDF manifesto and the 'Nyay Scheme', the minimum income guarantee scheme of the party.

Speaking at nearby Poonthura, a fishing hamlet, Gandhi urged voters to repose faith in the UDF. "What you do in Kerala will show the way for the rest of the country. It is a big responsibility and I am confident you will discharge it fully", she said.

Read | LDF govt 'betrayed' people of Kerala just as Judas did to Jesus: PM Modi

Former Union minister and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and former state minister V S Sivakumar were among those present at the Poonthura rally.

In a packed schedule, Gandhi addressed party workers in various constituencies in Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts, attacking the LDF in Kerala and the BJP-NDA government at the Centre, winding it up with a road show at Valiyathura, another fishing hamlet.

Taking a dig at the state government in the gold smuggling case, she said it has failed to recognise that the people of the state are the "real gold". The gold scam relates to the seizure of about 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore through diplomatic channels in July last year.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's former Principal secretary M Sivasankar was among those arrested, along with key accused Swapna Suresh. The case is being probed by various central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate.

The Congress general secretary also lashed out at the government over the inking of an MoU with a US based company for the manufacture of 400 deep sea fishing trawlers.