Congress leader and the United Democratic Front (UDF) Wayanad candidate Rahul Gandhi on Monday, April 15, criticised Kerala Chief Minister and CPI (M) polit bureau member, Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging that he did not attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his speeches during the election campaigns in Kerala. Rahul alleged that Pinarayi is instead attacking him constantly throughout the campaign.
Addressing a massive crowd in Kozhikode beach, Rahul Gandhi said,“My question is why is the BJP not attacking the Chief Minister of Kerala? Why are they not taking away his house, taking away his chief ministership? putting cases against him or getting him interrogated by the ED? After all, two Chief Ministers were jailed by the BJP. My second question is when the BJP is destroying the constitution, attacking democracy, destroying the institutions, and dividing India, why is the Chief Minister of Kerala attacking me 24/7?”
“I am happy for him to attack me. But you should also spend a little bit of time attacking the BJP, Mister Modi and the RSS,” he said.
A few days ago, on April 1, Kerala CM slammed Rahul Gandhi for contesting in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate and Communist Party of India (CPI) national leader, Annie Raja. He also called out Rahul Gandhi for not actively campaigning against the BJP.
Questioning Rahul Gandhi for not fighting the BJP head-on, he said, “He can contest from anywhere, that they can decide. But the entire country should discuss the inappropriateness of this. Why is he not contesting against the BJP directly?”
Rahul Gandhi also mentioned the consequences he had faced for criticising the BJP. “I attack the RSS and the BJP, and I am doing it relentlessly. 24/7 they are after me. I spent 55 hours being interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). After I gave a speech in the Parliament, the BJP had me removed from the Parliament. I was reinstated by the Supreme Court. They took away my house. I said to them, I don’t want your house and I don’t need your house. I have millions of houses in the heart of India’s people,” he said.