Modi begins speech by paying respects to Kalpathy, slams LDF and UDF

PALAKKAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his speech by paying respects to the Kalpathy Temple. Comparing Kalpathy to Kashi, he said that Palakkad holds a special place in his heart as he is the elected representative from Varanasi.

After arriving at the Mercy College Ground helipad around 2:20 pm, the Prime Minister travelled by road to the venue at Kotta Maidanam.

He said that development in Palakkad began only after the BJP came to power at the Centre.

“For 22 years, Palakkad was represented by Left MLAs, and for five decades by Congress MLAs. Even then, this constituency did not see development,” he said.

He urged voters to support Sobha Surendran in the upcoming election.

“Give your vote to Sobha Surendran this time to make up for the disappointment caused by E Sreedharan’s defeat last time,” he said.

Modi also criticised Congress and the Left.

“Outside Kerala, Congress and Communists work together. Only in Kerala do they pretend to fight each other,” he said.

He claimed that Kerala is in heavy debt. “The state has a debt of over Rs 5 lakh crore. In the past 10 years, the government has not started even a single institution that provides jobs for youth. Even salaries of government employees are not being paid properly,” he alleged.

On women’s safety, Modi said that only the BJP is committed to protecting women.

“Women in Kerala should remain alert. BJP always works for women’s safety. In areas like economy, healthcare, and housing, we give priority to women in all central schemes,” he said.

He also mentioned the passing of the “Nari Shakti Vandan” law to ensure better representation for women in legislatures and Parliament.

Congress leader is threat to women's safety
Modi alleged that a renowned Congress leader in Palakkad is a threat to women’s safety.

“People of Palakkad are well aware of this. There have been cases where another Congress leader had to be expelled from the party due to harassment of women. Women in Kerala should take such leaders seriously,” he said.

Visit to Thrissur
Modi also visited Thrissur on Palm Sunday, a day of importance for the Christian community. Political observers believe that support from Christians played a key role in the victory of Suresh Gopi in the parliamentary elections. Suresh Gopi had attended Palm Sunday ceremonies earlier in the day.