In Kerala's Pathanamthitta, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sang a Congress parody song on the Sabarimala gold theft case. In Kottayam, he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, hinting at a CPM-BJP nexus. The speeches were part of campaigning for the April 9 assembly elections.
In Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the crowd, singing “swarnam kattathu aarappa (who stole the gold)” to which the crowd responded “Saghakkalaane Ayyappa (the comrades did it)”. Senior party leader K C Venugopal taught him the Malayalam parody song, though Gandhi’s pronunciation was slightly off. The song highlights the Congress campaign against CPM over the Sabarimala temple gold theft case.
In a nine-minute speech in Kottayam, Gandhi alleged a nexus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “Narendra Modi listens to Donald Trump, and Pinarayi Vijayan listens to Narendra Modi. It’s a partnership we are fighting,” he said. “Do you know what Narendra Modi calls Donald Trump? He calls him ‘sir’. The reason is that the American president is controlling Modi through Epstein Files and Adani cases.” He questioned Modi’s silence on the Sabarimala case, where gold and silver plating was stripped from idols, despite Modi’s frequent talk of religion.
Gandhi outlined United Democratic Front (UDF) promises: rubber price at Rs 250 per kg on the first day of government, up to Rs 300 later, currently at Rs 218. Other pledges include free bus travel for women, Rs 1,000 monthly stipend for college women, Rs 3,000 pension for seniors, interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for young businesses, and Rs 25 lakh medical aid per family.
The speeches were among five delivered that day in central Kerala, where UDF holds influence ahead of April 9 assembly polls. BJP leaders Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and national president Nitin Nabin are campaigning in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry.
