PM Modi has given special focus to Kerala, says Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party National President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday said that special attention and focus have been given to Kerala under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While addressing a public rally at Thrissur, BJP Chief said that Rs 3,000 crore has been spent on a 450-km-long natural gas pipeline from Kerala’s Kochi to Mangaluru. “Under the NDA government led by PM Modi, special attention and focus have been given to Kerala. Rs 3,000 crore have been spent on a 450-km long natural gas pipeline from Kochi to Mangaluru under the ‘One Nation, One Grid’ program,” Nadda said.

He further said that Rs 16,000 crores have been spent for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)’s Integrated Refinery Expansion Complex in Kochi.

“In terms of infrastructure, I can assure that Rs 12,000 crores will be spent on six mega projects whose foundation stones have been laid,” the BJP chief said adding that the six-laning work of several highways and high-level bridge construction has also been undertaken under the leadership of PM Modi.

The Mumbai-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor worth Rs 50,000 crore, an initiative no one could think of, he said.

In a veiled dig at former PM Manmohan Singh, Nadda said that the then Prime Minister was not available when the tragic Sabarimala stampede took place in 2011 but when a fire broke out in Kollam’s Puttingal Temple the PM Modi was at the site within three hours.

“In Kollam, a fire broke out one night and 400 people had to face its wrath. Within three hours, PM Modi was in Trivandrum, and I was here as well. He deputed me here for a week, to personally look after the patients and take care,” Nadda said. Slamming the ruling party, the BJP chief alleged that the entire state machinery in Kerala is involved in corruption.

“One CM has a love for gold, the other one delivered and derived energy from ‘SOLAR’. It has given a very bad name to Kerala as a state. In both corruption and scam cases,” he said.

Regarding the Covid-19 cases in the state, Nadda said that Covid has been mismanaged in a massive way. “Over half the cases are from Kerala at this time. When India has the highest recovery and lowest fatality rate, Kerala is performing poorly,” he added.

Nadda arrived in Kerala on Wednesday for a two-day visit to the state to review the BJP’s election preparations ahead of Assembly polls.