Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged the people of Kerala to vote for the BJP-led NDA to secure the state’s future, bring development and progress, and lead Kerala in the right direction.
Addressing an NDA election rally at St. Peter’s College Grounds in Kolenchery, Ernakulam, Shah said that if the NDA comes to power in Kerala, work on AIIMS will begin within two years.
He also promised that ₹2,500 would be transferred to the accounts of women, and a CBI investigation into the “Sabarimala gold theft” would be launched, with the culprits jailed within two months.
He said that the youth of Kerala are leaving the state as their future is not secure, and stressed that this situation must change. “Kerala has a high literacy rate, but if young people want jobs, they have to leave the country. This situation needs to be changed. If the NDA comes to power in the state, more job opportunities will be created by establishing more industries,” he said.
The Union Home Minister asserted that the central government has the strong will to ban PFI and put its leaders behind bars.
Criticising both the LDF and UDF for their silence when more than 600 Christian families in Munambam faced the threat of eviction due to Waqf Board claims, Shah said that only the NDA came to their rescue.
He added that while the “Left and Right” remained silent to protect vote banks, the NDA government at the Centre stepped in to help and protect residents’ rights through the Waqf Amendment Act.
Shah claimed that while global conflicts have caused fuel and food shortages in many countries, India remains stable under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s claims regarding rising petrol prices, stating that while prices have increased in Pakistan, India has managed the crisis effectively.
“Rahul Gandhi is spreading misinformation in Kerala that petrol prices have increased. Prices have risen in Pakistan, not due to Narendra Modi. Due to global conflicts, many countries are facing fuel and food shortages, but this is not the case in India,” Shah said.
He also urged Opposition parties not to run campaigns that could adversely affect Indians working in Gulf countries.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Shah described the state government as a “name-changing startup” that rebrands central schemes to claim credit and divert funds. He said that the Centre’s housing scheme has been renamed as the Life Mission in Kerala.
He further alleged that while the National Highway Development Fund is provided by the Centre, only the Chief Minister’s pictures are displayed on roadside boards.
Shah also claimed that “those who cannot protect Sabarimala’s assets cannot protect our faith,” accusing the state government of failing to safeguard religious institutions.
Earlier in the day, Amit Shah held a massive roadshow in the Beypore Assembly constituency in Kozhikode to drum up support for NDA candidate KP Prakash.
The roadshow began at Mathottam Bijith Junction around 11:20 AM and proceeded towards Naduvattom, with thousands of BJP workers and supporters lining the streets, waving party flags and greeting him.