Mr Vijayan also reminded the BJP about its abysmal performance in the by-polls at Vengara
Challenged to fighting the BJP on "development and ideology", Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says he is ready to pick up the gauntlet thrown by BJP president Amit Shah and showcased Kerala's enviable record in human development index.
There is no state ruled by BJP that is anywhere near or even comparable with Kerala's international standards of the development index, Mr Vijayan said in a Facebook post, calling the BJP's 15-day Jan Raksha Yatra against the ruling CPM's "murder politics" a "flopped yatra".
"Kerala has nothing to learn from BJP or the RSS that guides it," the Chief Minister said, his stinging jab at the BJP and its president Amit Shah's for their incessant attacks on him during its relay walk. Kerala, he said, had "a heart built on secular values" while the BJP just had "an agenda of hate and communal ideologies".
"CM saheb, if you want to fight us, let us fight in terms of development and ideology," Mr Shah had said in his speech to mark the end of the 15-day protest walk.
Over the last fortnight, the BJP has held the Chief Minister "directly responsible" for the murder of BJP and RSS workers in Kerala particularly his home town Kannur, the epicentre of political violence between their cadres. It was also where the BJP's yatra, which passed through 11 districts, spent the maximum time.
Chief Minister Vijayan hit back, accusing the 16 union ministers, 4 four chief ministers and 36 lawmakers and national leaders "imported" into Kerala of attempting to "shatter the peace and harmony". "What kind of debate does Amit Shah wishes to have with us, when such wrongful precedents are allowed to happen (sic)?" he asked.
The Chief Minister complimented the police for thwarting attempts by these leaders and the public, for "mercilessly" rejecting the war cries, false propaganda and provocative slogans with the respect they deserved.
Mr Vijayan also reminded the BJP about its abysmal performance in the by-elections at Vengara which happened during the Yatra. "Amit Shah must now realise how the people of Kerala perceive such crooked politics," he said.
Left leaders have called the 15-day yatra an event designed to position the BJP, despite having just one member in the state assembly, as a major player in the state where political centrestage is occupied by the Left and Congress-led alliances.