From land of tourism, Kerala has become nursery of terrorism: Narendra Modi

Zee Media Bureau/ Neha Attre

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Kasaragod in Kerala on Tuesday and targeted the state government over the issue of safety of women by saying that the state figures in the top 10 list of unsafe states for women. “Kerala figures in the top 10 states that have been termed as unsafe for women. Out of these 10 states, six are governed by Congress governments. However, none of these are governed by the BJP government,” said Modi. “Kerala had the opportunity to be a tourist destination, But unfortunately, it has turned into a nursery of terrorism,” Modi said. Modi further targeted the Oomen Chandy government over the killing of two fishermen by Italian marines off the Kerala coast in 2012 after they were mistaken for pirates and said that neither the state nor the Central government has not taken any concrete steps in the matter. “In which jail have the Italian Marines been sent to?” Modi asked. The BJP leader further asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Chief Minister of the state, Oomen Chandy about steps taken to strengthen the country`s armed forces. Modi further said that despite being “God`s own country”, dearth of job opportunities in Kerala has forced the youngsters to look for employment opportunities in other states. “Kerala is running on money-order economy as people working abroad send money to their parents. But are they safe there?” asked Modi. He questioned the government and asked if it is doing anything for those who go abroad for job but are not given due leaves and their passports are also taken away. Modi further said that the bad condition of Kerala is due to the unwritten understanding between the UDF and LDF in the state which indulge in a “friendly match” and form governments in the state alternatively. “Congress party is like a watermelon, green on the outside and red on the inside,” he said while addressing the crowd. The Gujarat Chief Minister further said that with an extensive coastline, Kerala can feed salt to the entire nation and export it to the world. Speaking on the plight of fishermen in the state, Modi said that the Central government is not doing enough for them and they continue to suffer.