On his visit to Kerala, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the iconic Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Addressing a public meeting, he stated, 'I promised to visit the temple and thank Lord Padmanabhaswamy if a BJP mayor was elected in Thiruvananthapuram. Today, I stand here to express my gratitude on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP workers across India.'
Amit Shah emphasized that although progress is challenging in Kerala, it's not impossible for the BJP. 'We all recognize the difficulty of growing the lotus in Kerala. We only have the commitment and dedication of our workers to our ideology. Many attempts were made to weaken us, but BJP workers have steadfastly faced all challenges. Our goal is not just to win elections but to establish a government in Kerala that champions development, defends against adversarial forces, and preserves the state's spiritual heritage. Neither the LDF nor the UDF can achieve these; only the BJP can,’ he declared.
The Union Home Minister accused LDF and UDF of 'match-fixing' that has stalled Kerala's progress, adding, 'Whether it’s development or security, both have failed. Communism has vanished globally, and Congress is declining in India.' Referring to BJP's political journey, he said, 'In 1984, the party had just two MPs in the Lok Sabha, and now, we are in power at the center for the third consecutive time. It's Kerala’s turn now. This change is not confined to urban areas; we’ve also won two municipalities.'
Amit Shah expressed the significance of the BJP's victory in the recent municipal elections in Kerala, where they defeated both Congress-led United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front led by CPM in Thiruvananthapuram, securing a mayor for the first time.
He criticized LDF and UDF for corruption, saying that both subscribe to principles of 'you rule, you loot; our turn, our looting.' He dedicated BJP's triumph at Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to the workers who sacrificed everything for the party’s advancement in the state. He also highlighted the significant number of Keralites working abroad, whose earnings support their families. He questioned LDF and UDF's responsibility for ensuring peace and security for these individuals’ lives.
He accused LDF and UDF of failing to protect Muslim women’s rights and emphasized BJP’s legislative efforts to safeguard them, while questioning these factions' alliances with fundamentalist groups.
Amit Shah discussed the land encroachment by Waqf and gold theft at Sabarimala, triggering a call for an impartial investigation. He asked Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan if he would assign the investigation to a central agency. 'Without a fair probe, BJP is ready for a significant movement in the state,' he said, noting Congress and CPM's historical support for each other and their current alliance in Bengal and Kerala. 'In Bengal, both are at ground zero, but BJP will form the government there,' he concluded.
