Amit Shah Calls Rahul Gandhi 'Tourist Politician', For Shifting To Wayanad From Amethi

Ahead of assembly polls in Kerala, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the leader is a "tourist politician". Rahul represented Amethi for 15 years in Parliament and then shifted to Wayanad in Kerala.

For both, the Congress and the Gandhi family, people are just a vote bank and government a money bank, accused Shah. 

Shah also ridiculed the left and Congress for their poll pact in West Bengal and said the Communists and Congress need to merge and form a new party which can be called "Comrade Congress Party".

Launching his attack on Gandhi who was in neighbouring Kozhikode district for campaigning earlier in the day, Shah said: "This Wayanad is also the constituency of Rahul baba. He was representing Amethi for 15 years. Nothing changed there. Now he has come here."

"I have never seen a tourist politician like Rahul baba. Sometimes he will be in Amethi, sometimes in Wayanad. He is here as a tourist and don't expect any development from his
side," the union minister said.

The UPA government was ruling for ten years. The people voted them to power for development. Instead, they engaged in corruption and scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore, Shah alleged, adding "for the Congress and the Gandhi family, people are just a vote bank and government is a money bank."

Shah, who arrived here from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was addressing party workers at Meenangadi in Wayanad campaigning for the BJP-NDA candidate C K Janu, a tribal leader who is contesting from Sultan Bathery.

If BJP candidates are voted, Wayanad will be made the most developed district in the country, he said.

Attacking the LDF and UDF, Shah said the development has taken a back seat in Kerala for the last two decades. The state was once a favourite destination of tourists in the country, besides also being the most literate.

But the LDF-UDF fronts, which have been ruling the state alternatively for several years have stalled the state's development and was engaged in corruption, appeasement politics and political violence, the BJP leader alleged.

"The UDF-LDF indulge in appeasement politics while the BJP-NDA is for development politics," he said. Attacking the Communists and the Congress, he said "they are confused."

He pointed out that in Kerala, they were rivals and fight against each other, while in West Bengal they are allies and embrace each other.

"I would like to ask the Congress and Communists if you are doing politics of ideology or politics of power. Congress and Communists begin with the letter 'C' and confusion also begin with the C."

"They are confused about their policies, leadership and ideology and this will not help the state in any manner. They need to merge and form a new party which can be called Comrade Congress Party," Shah said, lacing his speech with sarcasm.

The CPI(M) has links with the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India), the political arm of the Popular Front of India (PFI), while the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League are allies, the Union minister said as he turned the heat on the LDF over the gold, dollar smuggling cases and the UDF in the Solar scam.

The gold smuggling case relates to the seizure of around 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic suitcase at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in July last year and the dollar scam pertains to the alleged smuggling of USD 1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs 1.30 crore) by a former finance head of the UAE consulate.

The Solar scandal, which hit the previous UDF government, relates to a couple of cheating people of crores of rupees by promising to instal solar panels and offering franchise and jobs.

Shah alleged that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, gold smuggling took place and if the Congress-UDF comes to power, they will appoint those involved in the solar scam as chief minister.

He also repeated his questions with regard to the gold smuggling case to Vijayan and sought answers from him before the April 6 assembly polls.

On the Sabarimala issue, the union minister said when the state witnessed violent protests after the left government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, lathis were used against Ayyappa pilgrims, including women, mothers, children and the Congress remained silent.

The BJP-NDA wants the temple administration to be handed over to devotees, Shah said.

He claimed the communists were engaged in violent politics and have killed thousands of RSS workers. "The BJP cannot be threatened and will ensure that the Lotus blooms in the state," Shah said.

The Union Home Minister later held a roadshow at Kozhikode for party candidate M T Ramesh.

(With PTI Inputs)