Thiruvananthapuram: BJP in Kerala on Saturday
accused the ruling CPI-M of trying to make political gain by
blaming the minorities for growth of communal trends in the
state.
"The CPI-M is seeking to make political gains by
exploiting the apprehensions in the public about the communal
and fundamentalist trends by putting the blame on the
minorities," BJP state President V Muraleedharan told a
meet-the-press here.
He was reacting to questions on Chief Minister and
Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan`s recent statement that
"Muslim and Christian communalism" was growing in the state.
This statement was part of the "tactical" move of the
CPI-M to shore up its sagging fortunes and the BJP would seek
to convince the people of this ploy, he said.
Though communal and fundamentalist elements had gained
some influence in the state, it would be wrong to blame the
minority communities entirely for that, he said.
Both the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF had
tried to appease communal elements as part of their "vote bank
politics," he said.
He admitted that BJP had organisational weaknesses in
Kerala to emerge as an alternative to the LDF and the UDF. The
immediate challenge before the party was to break its long
electoral jinx and enter the state assembly in the next polls.
On questions regarding the allegation that the BJP in
Kerala had often transferred votes to other parties, he said
the party could not be faulted if it had done so on certain
occasions as a tactical step in the given political context of
the state.
He claimed the state had stagnated in crucial areas like
infrastructure development and agriculture under the LDF rule.
While Gujarat had made major leaps in these two areas, the
LDF had always sought to run down the Narendera Modi
government instead of taking lessons from him, he added.
PTI
