Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala unit of Congress on Friday launched its campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with a statewide agitational programme against the CPM-led LDF government.
The program named “Samaragni” will cover all 14 districts of the state during which 30 mega public meetings will be held. The Congress plans to connect with at least 15 lakh programmes during the 20-day programme.
AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal flagged off the programme at Kasargod in the presence of PCC president K Sudhakaran and opposition leader in the state assembly V D Satheeshan.
Inaugurating the programme, Venugopal lashed out at the Modi-led central government for its failure to grant employment to the youth of the country. Venugopal alleged that 42% of the youth are unemployed. Besides, the farmers across the country have incurred on average a debt of Rs 1 lakh during the past ten years.
He took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked; "where is your guarantee?" "The people of the country will see through your false guarantee and give a befitting reply in the coming Lok Sabha polls," he said.
“No matter how many times you come to Kerala, the desire to wrest the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat will remain a dream," he said. The BJP is all set to field Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi again in Thrissur.
He said Modi's guarantee is nothing but a guarantee to divide the people. "We have extended cooperation to the government on all reasonable issues to deal with the financial crisis,” he said.
Slamming the LDF government in Kerala, the Congress will not support the government’s splurge. “Pinarayi tones down his stand on seeing Narendra Modi. But he deliberately uses the confrontation with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to divert attention from the failures of his government,” he said.
Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran said the big question before the people is whether the country will sustain itself. “Our agitation is against the dictatorial style of functioning of Pinaray Vijayan and the fascist rule of Narendra Modi,” he said.
The PCC president said the current ruling dispensation’s main priority is to support the chief minister’s family. There is a complete breakdown of administrative machinery. Several cases have come up against the chief minister but the BJP has remained mum which indicates the underhand deal between them in Kerala. .
Pinarayi's former secretary is in jail today. “There are 14 major corruption allegations against the chief minister. Had a free and fair probe been conducted into these allegations, Pinarayi would have landed in jail by now,” said Sudhakaran.
The PCC president claimed that the Congress-led UDF would win all 20 seats in the coming Lok Sabha polls as people were fed up with Pinarayi and Modi government’s policies.
Opposition leader VD Satheesan accused Pinarayi and Narendra Modi of reaching a pact in Kerala. While Modi helped Pinarayi in the money laundering case, gold smuggling and life mission corruption case, the latter reciprocated by helping the BJP in the hawala money case.
The Congress will hear grievances of people drawn from different sections of society during the yatra. The Samaragni agitation programme will conclude in Thiruvananthapuram with a mega rally on February 29.
AICC Kerala in-charge Deepa Das Munshi, Ramesh Chennithala, Shashi Tharoor, M M Hassan and K Muraleedharan were also present at the inaugural function.
