Vote against corruption and communalism: VS Achuthanandan

Kochi: Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan has called upon the people to vote against the twin evils of communalism and corruption represented by the BJP and the Congress respectively in the Assembly elections.  

Addressing a well-attended election rally at Tripunithura on Wednesday in support of M. Swaraj, Mr. Achuthanandan launched a scathing attack against the union government headed by Mr Narendra Modi.

After making a formal request to vote for Mr. Swaraj, who has a track record of rabid anti-VS views, VS focused on national and state -level issues. “The RSS-BJP combine has identified Muslims, Christians and Communists as enemies and follows a policy of fomenting religious hatred amongst the people,” he said.      

Referring to the arrest of students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar in Jawaharlal Nehru University and the suicide of Rohit Vemula in the University of Hyderabad as prime examples of the growing intolerance and authoritarianism of the BJP, VS said that the Modi government was   the rights of dalits, adivasis and other sections of  people. The reservation benefits enjoyed by the people were under threat, he said.

Terming the elections in the state as part of the struggle against the politics of communalism and hatred by the BJP, he asked the people to rally behind the left forces to defeat the BJP.

He  also launched a bitter attack against the UDF regime in the state headed by Mr Oommen Chandy. Listing a series of corruption charges against Mr. Chandy and his cabinet colleagues, Mr. Achuthanandan  quoted from the letter allegedly written by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to the Congress high command against the Chandy government.