UDF Lacks Even the Morality of Thieves: M. Swaraj

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) State Secretariat member M. Swaraj has accused the UDF of diverting funds collected for the victims of the Wayanad disaster for election campaigning. He stated during a press conference that the UDF, which has turned the disaster into an opportunity to steal money, lacks any moral integrity. Swaraj criticised the Congress for distributing money and food to encourage people to attend their election rally, and later withdrawing the offer. This, he said, is proof that even the major front could not gather enough people for the campaign. Every day, they are spending millions to manipulate the election, he added.

Swaraj demanded that Congress clarify how much money was raised in the name of Wayanad and how much was collected through affiliated organisations. He questioned the transparency of the funds, asking where the money was deposited, accusing Congress of being reluctant to disclose this information. He refuted claims that the funds were deposited in the joint account of the Leader of Opposition and the KPCC President, stating that this was a lie. He also criticised the Congress for failing to fulfill their promise of building houses for the disaster-affected people. Swaraj claimed that after criticism, they only bought three acres of land and laid some foundation stones, but no construction has been done. The claim made by V.D. Satheesan that house construction had started was a blatant lie, he said, adding that no application for construction permits had even been submitted to the local authorities.

Swaraj also dismissed Satheesan’s claim that the government had not provided land for construction, labeling it as untrue. He clarified that the government had not promised to give land, and no request for it had been made.

In response to media questions about the Chief Minister’s disaster relief fund not being a personal account, Swaraj stated that such questions were baseless. He criticised the opposition for making unfounded allegations while being unable to tell the truth. He also noted the undemocratic nature of the opposition's attempts to blame CPI(M) for their own PR work. Swaraj referred to earlier criticisms by V.D. Satheesan regarding his participation in an RSS program and pointed out that Congress itself had sought support from the RSS in the 1980 elections.

Swaraj accused Congress of being famous for fundraising, citing examples like the four-time fundraising campaigns for the K. Karunakaran memorial. He argued that using money raised for Wayanad for election purposes was an attack on the identity of Kerala. He emphasised that CPI(M)’s stance was against communal forces, and questioned the UDF regarding political maneuvers like the cancellation of the petition in Manjeshwar.