KOLLAM: Political parties across India are gearing up for the Lok Sabha Election, which is due sometime in April this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening on a brief four-hour visit of Kerala, sounding the poll bugle in the state. Modi launched a scathing attack on the Left government in Kerala on the Sabarimala issue, saying that Communists do not respect India's culture and spirituality. Hitting out at the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Opposition, spearheaded by the UDF in the state, he said both the fronts were two sides of the same coin and accused them of neglecting people of the state. "We know that the Communists do not respect India's culture, history and spirituality," Modi said at a public meeting in Kollam.

Mr. Modi also alleged that that despite Congress making tall claims about gender justice and social justice, their actions have been exactly the opposite. “The NDA government has been working towards abolishing triple talaq and the communists and the Congress are opposing it. Triple talaq is grave injustice done to women, but driven by vote bank politics they are supporting it. The female population in Kerala should ask the LDF and the UDF why are they supporting this practice,” he said.