'CPM will back secular coalition candidate'

CPM Dakshina Kannada secretary Vasanth Achari said that the party will support a secular party candidate in the constituency.

Achari said that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to fulfil its promises made to the people in the last five years.

“The NDA government has neglected development and attempted to weaken democratic institutions in the country. So CPM will support the Congress-JD(S) candidate Mithun Rai,” he confirmed.

Charging that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had failed to develop Dakshina Kannada in the last 10 years, he said that flyover work and four-laning of the national highway were not completed even after eight years. Mangaluru International Airport had been privatised, he noted.

Kateel failed to protect the interest of affected beedi workers and to implement Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act,” Achari added.

He said that BJP’s promise of “Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas” had failed to meet the aspirations of the people.

“Instead rich corporates have benefited. Muslims, Dalits and women are still considered second-rate citizens. Efforts are being made to saffronise education by appointing those who are close to BJP to central universities, film institutes and other premier institutions,” he alleged.

He alleged that massive corruption had taken place in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. The promise of generating employment was not fulfilled. Mudra scheme was not successful in generating employment in the villages. All labour laws had been diluted and the NDA government did not pay minimum wages of Rs 18,000 per month to labourers in the unorganised sector.

The promise of checking the rise in prices of essential commodities had not been fulfilled as the price of petroleum products were hiked even when the price of petrol in the international market fell, he said.