Those who looted gold at Sabarimala will be put in jail: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holding the LDF government in Kerala responsible the gold heist at the Sabarimala temple, said it is weakening the temple tradition.

Addressing a public rally at Putharikandam maidan here on Friday, Prime Minister Modi said an investigation into the Sabarimala gold loot would be ensured and that it is Modi’s guarantee. The Lord’s gold was looted and if the BJP comes to power in Kerala, all those involved in the gold looting will be jailed.

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Accusing the LDF of not sparing any attempt to denigrate the beliefs and customs of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, Modi said the CPM was involved in the theft of gold belonging to the deity.

The prime minister, who began his speech with a greeting in Malayalam, “Namaskaram Thiruvananthapuram”, called it his good fortune to come to the land of Lord Padmanabha Swamy. “I bow down to the selfless service of Lord Padmanabha, under the guidance of Lord Narayana Gurudev and the guidance of Ayyankali,” the PM said.

Launching a scathing attack on both the ruling CPM-led LDF and Opposition Congress-led UDF, he said both these fronts are wrecking Kerala in collusion with each other for the past many decades. The time now has come for a transformation in the state by electing an NDA government that stands for development and good governance.

“If you want to save Kerala, you have to break the LDF-UDF nexus and bring transformation. The flags and symbols of LDF and UDF are different, but they follow the same agenda,” the prime minister contended.

Describing the BJP assuming power in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as historic and unprecedented, he said its reverberation was heard not only in Kerala but across India. Comparing his party’s Thiruvananthapuram victory with that of its 1987 victory in Ahmedabad, Modi said the change that started in Ahmedabad has also reached Thiruvananthapuram.

“Prior to 1987, the BJP was a small party in Gujarat. Newspapers barely covered us. In 1987, we registered our first victory in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and it all started from one city. In Kerala too, it has started from one city, Thiruvananthapuram, and that is why I say Kerala has now trusted the BJP,” the PM said.

He said even the money deposited in the bank is not safe under the Left government. Due to corruption in the cooperative banks, the money of the common people was stolen. He was referring to the Karuvannur bank scam in which the ruling CPM was in the dock.

Urging the people of Kerala to think a little more intelligently, he said, “The CPM ruled Tripura for 30 years. When it ended, they gave the BJP a continuation of the rule. Now, the CPM is not even mentioned there. The Left ruled Bengal for a long time. Today, there is no candidate to contest on the CPM ticket there. Why is this not happening in Kerala? The LDF and UDF are united in Kerala. If Kerala wants to be saved, their adjustment politics should end,” he argued.

Earlier at a function, PM Modi flagged off four new train services via video at around 11 am here. The Thiruvananthapuram-Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express (from Thiruvananthapuram Central station), the Nagercoil-Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express (from Thiruvananthapuram Central station), the Thiruvananthapuram-Charlappalli Amrit Bharat Express (from Thiruvananthapuram North station) and the Thrissur-Guruvayur Passenger Train (from Thrissur station) departed for their destinations from the respective stations soon after the ceremony.

The prime minister also inaugurated the PM Swanidhi Credit Card Scheme. He said credit cards, which were previously only available to the rich, are now available to street vendors through the PM Swanidhi Scheme. There are 10,000 beneficiaries in Kerala and more than 600 in Thiruvananthapuram under the scheme.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, District Collector Anu Kumari, BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and other officials received Prime Minister Modi on his arrival at the technical area of the Thiruvananthapuram airport at around 10.30 a m on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a massive road show here, from the Thampanoor overbridge to the Putharikandam Maidan. Thousands of people lined up on the streets, including party workers and supporters donning saffron caps waving BJP flags. PM Modi greeted the crowds from the footboard of his car, waving as flowers were showered on him in a grand welcome.