PM woos Kerala, flays ‘political polarisation’ to help the corrupt

“There is a political polarisation in the country to help the corrupt. People should be vigilant against it,” he said, addressing BJP workers in Kochi.

Referring to his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister said the biggest challenge in the way of development is corruption.

In an effort to woo the people of Kerala, one of the states the BJP is looking at to spread its pan-India footprint further, Modi said states governed by the BJP are making strides in development, given the “double-engine growth” potential alongside a BJP-led government at the Centre. And such development can take place in Kerala as well, he added.

The people of Kerala see the BJP as a “ray of hope” for the state’s development and believe in honest efforts of the party in transforming the state, he said.

The Prime Minister reached Kochi on Thursday on a two-day visit. During his time in the state, Modi will commission India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, at the Cochin Shipyard Limited on Friday and launch a few projects, including opening a stretch of Kochi Metro.

Addressing a large group of party workers, Modi said the Centre is working to realise the needs of Kerala and is striving to ensure that basic facilities reach the marginalised, the poor and those from Dalit communities. Projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore are being implemented in Kerala by the Centre under various projects, he pointed out.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, he said, Kerala has got 2 lakh houses, of which 1 lakh has been constructed. He emphasised that the Centre will set up medical colleges in all districts of the country, and students and nurses of Kerala will benefit from it.

Speaking on the Union government’s schemes, Modi said that during the pandemic, the Centre gave free ration to 1.5 crore people in Kerala. Under the PM Kisan scheme, he added, 3.5 lakh farmers in the state have benefited.

The Centre has set aside Rs 50,000 crore for development of roads in Kerala, he said. “We are giving much importance to the state’s connectivity,’’ he said, referring to the inauguration of a stretch of Kochi Metro and laying the foundation stone for the development of the railway station in Ernakulam.