The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) issued its election manifesto for the state on Wednesday, after announcing ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan as its Chief Ministerial candidate. Two promises stand out from the many made in the manifesto.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar’s manifesto makes a few huge promises about the Sabarimala temple and the threat of love jihad in the state. The party has vowed to pass legislation to uphold the Sabarimala temple’s age-old rituals, which have become the subject of leftist propaganda. According to the party, all temples in Kerala should be taken out of government control and given to devotees, priests, and religious leaders.
The minister demanded the Left government in the state to make clarify its stand regarding the Sabarimala temple. Javadekar said that Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury support the entry of women in Sabarimala temples. However, Devaswom Minister and LDF candidate from Kazhakooam, Kadakampally Surendran opposes it.
The government must also clarify its position in the gold smuggling case, according to Javadekar. The party has also vowed to pass legislation in Kerala to address the problem of love jihad, similar to what has been done in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.
According to the manifesto, at least one person from each family in the state will be employed, and high school students will receive free laptop computers.
He accused CM Vijayan of ‘hijacking’ central government schemes and introducing them with modifications in the state to claim credit. “We also given free rations to 80 crore people for eight months, with each family receiving 5 kg dal and 40 kg rice. The Kerala government, on the other hand, needs to take credit. Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, it is Modi who has done all of this, not you,” he claimed. “The Centre has given homes and toilets to over 1.27 lakh residents. The LDF government has transformed it into the Life Mission project with minimal changes,” he said.
