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Chakarakkal (Ker), March 27 (PTI): BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday slammed both the CPI(M) and Congress, saying they are 'ideologically confused' as they were fighting each other in Kerala, but have joined hands to take on the party 'tooth and nail' in West Bengal.
"It's interestingto note that at this point of time, election is going on in West Bengal.
How ideologically confused both the parties have become.
Here Congress and CPI(M) are fighting each other.
In West Bengal, CPI(M) and Congress are fighting BJP tooth and nail", Nadda said at a road show for the party candidate C K Padmanabhan, on a day when the first phase of assembly elections got underway in West Bengal.
Chakarakkal forms part of Dharmadam constituency from where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking re-election.
Referring to the Sabarimala women's entry issue, Nadda said the ruling CPI(M) and the Chief Minister had "tried to crush" the agitation, while Congress paid only "lip service" over the years.
The state had witnessed violent protests led by a section of devotees and right wing outfits after the state government decided to implement the Supreme Court order of 2018, allowing entry to women of all ages into the hilltop shrine.
As per temple tradition, women in the 10-50 age group are barred from trekking to the shrine of Lord Ayyappa,a celibate.
The BJP chief also took a swipe at Vijayan on the gold smuggling case, alleging that the Chief Minister's office was involved in it.
"The chief minister's office is involved in the gold scam. The investigation is going on.
He (Vijayan) asked for the probe by the central agencies.
When the investigation reached his office, they are saying the Centre is attacking the state government," he said.
Three central agencies --Enforcement Directorate, Customs and National Investigation Agency, are probing the case, in which 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore was seized from a diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram International airport in July 2020.
Nadda recalled that when 106 people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at Sabariamala in 2011, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not bothered to visit the state.
In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had rushed to Puttingal temple complex at Paravoor in April 2016, hours after 114 people were killed and over 300 injured in a massive blast, caused when a stray fireworks landed on a stockpile of crackers, he said.
"Only BJP has been consistent on Sabarimala. The party state president K Surendran and C K Padmanabhan have for long been fighting hard for the Sabarimala issue.
But the CPI(M) and the chief Minister tried to crush the agitation, while congress, which paid only "lip service" for years, was now saying they would bring forward a legislation to protect the traditions of the shrine, Nadda said.
"Kerala has to go with Modi" and his party would bring mega projects to the state, he said, adding they wished to see changes in the health and education sectors.