‘Congress Can’t Be Trusted To Oppose BJP’: Kerala CM Vijayan Says As Party Questions CPI(M) Link To Kannur Blast

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated his accusations of Congress being silent on the implementation of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and various central government policies.

File photo of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ( Image Source :pti )

New Delhi: As the Lok Sabha poll campaign gains momentum in Kerala, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress, both constitutents of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, on Sunday traded allegations against each other on various issues, including CAA and the recent Kannur blast. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking at an LDF public meeting in Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency, accused the Congress of remaining silent on the implementation of the CAA and failing to oppose Union government policies detrimental to the state's interests.

He contended the Congress never opposed the Union government policies that were financially choking the state and obstructing its welfare measures. 

Vijayan went on to claim, "The past experience of the country has been that the Congress' stand was always similar to that of BJP and, therefore, they cannot be trusted to oppose the saffron party". He further criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging a continuation of anti-people policies from the previous UPA-II regime, reported news agency PTI.

In response, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan slammed the CPI(M) and Vijayan, drawing attention to the recent Kannur bomb blast. Satheesan likened the Left party to terrorist organisations, citing the alleged involvement of CPI(M) workers in the blast, a claim vehemently denied by the CPI(M). The Congress maintained that CPI(M) members were behind the blast, with police reports indicating CPI(M) affiliation of the individuals involved. The CPI(M), in turn, asserted that those implicated were disassociated from the party due to past violence against Left party members.

In response to the CPI(M)'s denial, Satheesan questioned, "Why local leaders of the party visited the house of the man killed in the blast".  Satheesan alleged that those involved in the incident were sidelined by the CPI(M) to suit their interests in the upcoming LS polls, and said that after the election, the party's stand would change.

Deceased In Kannur Blast Would Be Later Treated As Martyr: Kerala Congress Acting President M M Hassan

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) acting president M M Hassan echoed similar sentiments, alleging that the deceased would later be glorified as a martyr, with his family receiving jobs and financial aid. Hassan termed the making of a bomb as an act of terrorism and claimed the incident was a result of the failure of Union and state intelligence agencies.

He said the police needed to find out who all were going to be the targets of the bombs that were made there. On the other hand, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan continued to deny allegations of the party's involvement in the incident, as per PTI.

Regarding local CPI(M) leaders who went to the house of the person who died in the blast, the CPI(M) leader said he did not know about that. Meanwhile, police reported conducting raids with bomb disposal squads in several areas of Kannur district following the explosion that took place in Panur on Friday.

The blast occurred during the assembly of a country-made bomb.

Notably, polling for the Lok Sabha election in the Left-ruled state will be held in on April 26.