Kerala assembly elections 2016: PM Narendra Modi targets Congress-led UDF govt on Dalit murder, solar scam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today slammed the Congress-led UDF in Kerala over the solar scam and the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman saying, there seemed to be “no government” in the state. “I am afraid to use the word solar in Kerala as it would create a ‘big dhamaka’ (explosion),”  he said referring to the solar scam which has rocked UDF government with charges being made even against Chief Minister Ommen Chandy.

He was addressing an election rally of NDA at the Fort Maidan here, his first in the series of four lined up in the coming days for the May 16 assembly polls, as BJP goes all out to make its maiden entry in the assembly.

Modi also criticised the state government’s “failure” to rise to the occasion while handling the rape case. “A Dalit sister was raped and killed. We don’t see a government anywhere,” Modi said.

The statement assumes significance as even after nine days, police was yet to nab the culprits involved in the brutal rape and murder of the 30-year old woman in Perumbavoor near Kochi.

The Prime Minister made the solar comment after referring to the solar initiative he had launched in his constituency Varanasi for converting diesel-powered engines to solar-powered battery engines in fishing boats. This had given the fishermen a profit of Rs 500 per day, he said.

“I thought why this cannot be replicated in Kerala also.  But I was scared. I felt, if I go to Kerala and talk of solar, there will be ‘big dhamaka’,” Modi said as the people cheered and clapped.

“See the change from government to government. In Varanasi, the solar-powered boats are powering the lives of fishermen, but in Kerala the government is run by solar,” Modi said, taking a dig at Chandy.

The Prime Minister also targeted the CPI-M in the state, saying it was following the “politics of violence”.

Several innocent BJP workers lost their life in the attack over the years by CPI-M, he said charging they were physically annihilated as they did not agree to the Marxist ideology.

Modi also mentioned about the insult meted out by CPI-M student wing to a retired principal of a government college here.

Some activists of SFI, students wing of the CPI(M), had prepared a “grave” for her as a retirement gift.

“Do you want to vote for such people? Whether you will pardon those who committed this insult?” Modi asked.