Congress, BJP unleashing lie campaign: Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the day opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala announced a massive online protest titled #SpeakupKerala seeking the resignation of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that Congress and BJP are unleashing a lie campaign against the government in one voice. "Both parties practice the same attack strategy. They want to tell thousand lies and create confusion among the public," he told reporters on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Chennithala announced ‘#SpeakUpKerala’ protest adhering to Covid-19 protocol. "As part of the protest, all UDF leaders will hold a satyagraha on August 1 at their home or office and they will raise their views against the government on social media platforms. Further, on August 10, members of all local bodies belonging to UDF will hold satyagraha at their home or office to protest the anti-people LDF government and communicate with the public, similarly, through their social media accounts," he said during a news conference.
Chennithala also asked LDF’s coalition partners to clarify whether they believe Pinarayi Vijayan has the moral authority to continue in his office in the wake of gold smuggling scandal.
Balakrishnan said Chennithala was repeating the allegations levelled by the BJP state president. "Ramesh Chennithala has become a darling of RSS. They want a UDF leadership without Oommen Chandy and Kunhalikutty and it seems that they are promoting Chennithala for that. Congress needs to think whether this is an advisable strategy," he said.
"In states like Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Congress and BJP are at loggerheads. But, both parties share same wavelength here," he claimed.
Reacting to Balakrishnan’s words, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran challenged him to prove his allegation. "It was CPM which maintained a tacit understanding with Hindu fanatic organisation RSS. Congress has always taken an uncompromising position on Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. Don’t forget that Nehru and Indira Gandhi had dared to ban RSS," he said.
Ramachandran alleged that communist movement had aligned with RSS during the nationalist movement to tacitly help British rulers. "The country hasn’t forgotten their denial of Quit India movement and India winning Independence. CPM has always taken the contract to whitewash BJP and RSS whenever they faced a backlash," he alleged.