Rahul Gandhi says BJP going soft on Left Front leaders under probe in Kerala

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that the BJP government at the Centre was going soft on Left Front leaders embroiled in several cases and accused the Marxist-led government in Kerala of practicing nepotism.

Addressing the concluding session of the opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala’s state-wide yatra ahead of the assembly election, he said nepotism is the guiding spirit of the government and jobs are reserved only for Left sympathisers and workers in Kerala.

“If you are a Left worker job is ensured. One can even sit at the CM’s office and smuggle gold. Nobody is there to prevent you. If you hold the CPI (M) flag you can smuggle gold sitting at the CM’s office,” he said

Gandhi said that when the Left Front assumed power five years ago it said it would make the state perfect. He said the party has only made its organisation and workers perfect leaving many educated youth high and dry.

He also accused chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of not being interested in talking to job aspirants agitating outside the state secretariat.

“Many youngsters are on fast for many days. The CM is least interested because they are not Left workers or sympathisers but genuine job aspirants. How can he ignore them like this? he asked.

He cited slow progress in cases against Left leaders to buttress his point that the BJP was soft on the ruling dispensation in Kerala.

“Central agencies are investigating many cases in Kerala. We know the fate of some of them. Why are they going so slow? Everyone can make out the reason why these cases are getting slow,” he said.

Congress leaders in the state had earlier raised similar allegations pointing out tardy progress in gold smuggling, money laundering and other cases being probed by central agencies.

Gandhi also pointed out that the MoU between the government owned Kerala shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation and US-based EMCC International Corporation for ₹2950 crore deep sea fishing project was cancelled on Monday after the opposition raised serious irregularities in the deal.

“Like the present regime we won’t sell you. We will protect you and ensure your livelihood,” he said. He said the Congress-led United Democratic Front is busy making a people’s manifesto under the leadership of Shashi Tharoor and it will address aspirations of all and take the state to a new level.