Malappuram: Continuing with his attack on the Congress, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the main opposition party has not openly opposed the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) or the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
While Pinarayi has only repeated his earlier attack, it assumes significance as these issues do find resonance with the voters of Malappuram, the district with a considerable Muslim electorate.
Addressing the media here, the chief minister said the Congress manifesto, called Nyay Patra, is silent on CAA even when the US has expressed concern over the Act. "There are no major differences between the Congress and the BJP in their stands on secular issues," he added.
He also refuted the allegation that he has not criticised the BJP. He said that the media deliberately ignored his criticisms to substantiate Congress' claim that he was silent on the issue. "The LDF does not need the certificate from the Congress to fight against the BJP and the RSS. Rahul Gandhi has not yet condemned the CAA, whereas CPM has conducted several protests on the issue and a case was even registered against Sitharam Yechuri.
"Can Rahul confidently say how many of its leaders have been booked in the anti-CAA protest? The Kerala government jointly organised protests against the CAA in association with the opposition. However, the Congress suddenly withdrew from it and maybe after receiving the direction from the top leaders," Pinarayi alleged.
He also criticised the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and said there was no need to consider the party's political opinions. "IUML is helpless. If you ask their leaders privately about their stand on certain issues, they would have a different answer (than what they say in public)," Pinarayi said.
Vijayan also attacked the Congress for fielding Choudhary Lal Singh, who allegedly supported the accused in a sensational rape case, from the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that Singh, a former BJP leader, had participated in a rally in support of the accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in January 2018.
He said it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi himself who welcomed Singh into the party fold during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"This clearly shows that the Congress is not taking a strong stand against the Sangh Parivar," he told a press conference in this Muslim-dominated district.
The 65-year-old Singh, who hails from Kathua district, had rejoined the Congress at its headquarters in Delhi last month. He was fielded from the Udhampur Parliamentary constituency of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pinarayi also questioned Congress leaders's stand in the cyber attack against Vadakara LDF candidate K K Shailaja. He asked why was the congress leadership reluctant to condemn the persons involved in such heinous activities. None of the LDF leaders would engage in such cheap activities, he added.
Pinarayi was also critical of the pre-poll; survey conducted by various media organisations. "The public suspects whether these surveys are paid," he said. Referring to the results of the 2021 Assembly polls, when people voted for the LDF rejecting the surveys, he alleged that people are beginning to question the validity of the current surveys.
(With PTI inputs)