Speaking at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday made a remark contrasting politics in Kerala and North India. "For the first 15 yrs, I was an MP in the North. I had got used to a different type of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing, as I suddenly found that people are interested in issues, and not just superficially, but going into details," he said, reported news agency ANI. "I was talking to some students in the US and I said that I really enjoy going to Kerala. It is not just affection, but the way you do your politics. If I might say so, the intelligence with which you do your politics. So, for me, it's been learning experience and pleasure," he said.
In response, Amethi BJP MP Smriti Irani hit back at the "divide and rule" politics. "The spiteful and vengeful politics of Rahul Gandhi, which insults not only the people and voters of Amethi, but seeks to create a divide between North and South India is to be condemned by every Indian citizen," she said.
The Congress on Tuesday sounded the poll bugle in Kerala with the party organising a mammoth rally in which leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Kerala's ruling LDF and BJP government at the Centre over various issues including the contentious farm laws and the rise in fuel prices.
The Wayanad MP also asked why the BJP was not attacking the CPI(M)-led government and "going soft on cases against the CM's office".
Turning to the rising fuel prices, the Congress leader flayed the central and state governments over the hike despite low oil price in the international market and claimed both the governments are giving the money to the richest in the country.
He hit out at the Left government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the continuing protest by a section of PSC rank holders in front of the state secretariat and claimed jobs were available in Kerala only for CPI(M) workers.
"While the first two farm laws destroy the country's agriculture sector, the third one denies justice to the farmers," he alleged after inaugurating a massive rally here, marking the culmination of the 22-day-long Aishwarya Yatra, led by leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala.
"The first one destroys the farmers market. The second one is to allow the richest to procure as much as grain and unlimited hoarding. These two laws allow them to control the price of grains and vegetables," he alleged.
"They [government] have only one aim: the farmer does not get the right price for their produce. That everybody, the middle class, farmers labourers have to pay more," he said.
