Kochi: Hitting out at the CPM-led LDF government in Kerala, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused it of unleashing tremendous "violence and fear" against opponents, and not promoting the state's growth and industrialisation.
"In order to support the political organisation, Left Front uses tremendous amount of violence and fear. You know better than me how the Left Front government uses violence on our workers and common people of Kerala," Gandhi, here for electioneering, told a UDF convention.
Charging the LDF government with valuing "their organisation over and above the people of Kerala," he said this was not what a government should do. "A government is responsible first to its people and then to its political party".
Gandhi promised the electorate that a Congress-led government would 'push' economic development 'very aggressively' in the state.
He said the state had made tremendous strides in literacy and other areas, but added, "When I come here I also see everything is not going right. I feel the true potential of people of Kerala is visible in middle-east and other parts".
Gandhi said without industrial growth, IT, telecommunications and improvement in agriculture, the poor cannot be helped and "this is where Kerala government has failed".
The LDF government had not been able to ensure industrial development to take Kerala forward, he said. Adding that industrial growth eventually helps the poor, Gandhi said the job of the government was to ensure that economic growth and industrialisation takes place and it is transferred to the people. This is the philosophy of "inclusive growth" of the UPA government, he said.
"We have shown to the rest of the world that you can grow fast and help the people," he said.
"The UPA believes in looking after the aspirations of the people of the state. We do not believe in using violence and have a history of peace. Not only will we provide fast economic growth and industrialisation, we will also ensure that benefits reach all sections of the people," Gandhi said.
With the UPA government at the Centre and a UDF government in Kerala, it will be a "very powerful partnership," he said. Speaking about the Youth Congress, he said that over the "past couple of months" the organisation and Kerala Students Union, the state student wing of the Congress, had taken great strides. Youth Congress had successfully carried out elections without any interference, he said.
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