BJP backs PM's Somalia remarks, hits out at Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram, May 11: BJP today hit out at Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his likening of the state to Somalia, and alleged various welfare laws for the SC/ST communities were not being implemented in the state.

"For the benefit of SC/ST brothers, many laws made by the Central government are not being implemented in Kerala. Isn't this an insult to the state," BJP state president, Kummanam Rajasekharan told reporters here.

Chandy had yesterday hit out at Modi for comparing Kerala to Somalia, saying he had insulted the state and should show some "political decency" and withdraw the remark.

"The Chief Minister has raised the issue of the Malayalee pride being hurt now, only with an eye on the May 16 Assembly polls," Rajasekharan said.

Media had highlighted reports of two tribal children rummaging for food at a waste dump in a tribal colony at Peravur in Kannur district and the incident had shaken the conscience of the nation, he said, adding, there was nothing wrong and "unnatural" about what PM had said.

Referring to Chandy's claim that for the welfare of the tribals, crores had been spent by the government and that no child in the state will eat from the waste dump, the BJP leader claimed that at Attapadi, 143 children have died due to malnourishment.

"Has the Chief Minister forgotten about them," he asked. Chandy should explain the steps taken by the government to stop starvation deaths in the state, he said.

In a hard-hitting letter to Modi, Chandy had said the Prime Minister's comparison of Kerala to Somalia during a recent poll campaign rally while claiming that the state had "adverse" economic and social parameters had "shocked" the people of the state as it has nothing to do with the ground realities.

He also wanted Modi to show some "political decency" by withdrawing the statement as they were "baseless and contrary to ground realities."

PTI