Thiruvananthapuram

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), alleging that their alternating rule has “stagnated Kerala’s politics” and fostered corruption, while asserting that only the BJP-led NDA can provide a corruption-free and development-oriented alternative.

Addressing the ‘New India, New Kerala’ conclave organised by Kerala Kaumudi, Shah accused both alliances of shielding each other from accountability and listed several alleged scams that, he said, were never properly investigated.

“The UDF does not investigate corruption during the LDF’s rule, and the LDF does the same during the UDF’s tenure. Ultimately, both are corrupt,” Shah said, citing the Rs 343 crore cooperative bank scam, AI camera scam, LIFE Mission scam, PPE kit procurement case, solar scam, and bridge scam as examples of alleged inaction.

He asserted that the NDA was the only political alternative capable of ending corruption in the state. “If the people of Kerala want to get rid of corruption, there is only one way—give the NDA government a chance,” Shah said.

The Union Home Minister also criticised both the LDF and UDF for what he described as a lack of support for the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), questioning whether organisations such as PFI, Jamaat-e-Islami, and SDPI could ensure unity in the state.

“It is the responsibility of the government to identify such threats and eliminate them to maintain peaceful coexistence,” he said.

Shah further questioned the Kerala government’s handling of the Sabarimala temple gold theft case, reiterating his demand for a neutral investigation by an independent agency. “An investigation must not only be neutral, it must also appear neutral,” he said.

Highlighting the BJP’s governance model, Shah said the party stood for “performance-based politics” focused on development rather than appeasement. “We want to move from silence to strength, from doubt to decision, and from delay to delivery,” he added.

Referring to recent electoral gains, Shah claimed that the BJP-led NDA was on a steady rise in Kerala. “In 2014, the BJP had 11 per cent vote share; in 2019, the NDA had 16 per cent; in 2024, we crossed 20 per cent. History shows that parties crossing 20 per cent do not take long to reach 40 per cent,” he said.

ALSO READ: Kashmir: Naranag offers ensemble of spiritualism, history, nature, and life

Pointing to the BJP’s first mayoral victory in Thiruvananthapuram, Shah said Kerala now needs “new ideology, new blood, and a new kind of politics,” adding that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, a “developed Kerala” was achievable.