Outside Kerala, they are Best Friends Forever: PM Modi attacks Cong, Left parties

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Kerala, saying that the Left parties in the state are following "one family rule model" of Congress. Addressing a rally in Thiruvananthapuram, PM Modi said that the two alliances are "each other's enemies" in the state but "outside Kerala, they are Best Friends Forever".

"BJP has never come to power in Kerala but I have laid my track record in front of you. Congress and its other communist alliances have only one priority. They only let their family to rule the country. For them, the welfare of their family is superior to the welfare of Indians. This colour of the Congress has also been rubbed on the left parties. In Kerala, they are each other's enemies but outside Kerala, they are BFFs, which means Best Friends Forever."

PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said that his party has worked to empower Kerala and benefits of development have been reaped over the past 10 years. "BJP has never seen any Indian state from the perspective of a vote-bank. Even when the BJP was not strong in Kerala, even then we worked day in and day out to empower Kerala. Over the past 10 years, the benefits of development have been reaped by Kerala as much as done by the BJP-ruled states," PM Modi said.

He said that the opposition has accepted its defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and its only agenda is to abuse him. "It (the opposition) does not have a road map for the development of the country, hence it has made only one agenda, to abuse Modi. I know that Kerala will never stand with those having such negative thoughts, Kerala will bless BJP and NDA for nation-building. People are walking shoulder to shoulder with BJP on the streets, which in itself is a big message..." he said.

"There is a different level of enthusiasm among the people of Kerala. The hope that was aroused for BJP in Kerala in 2019 seems to be changing into confidence in 2024. In 2019, the people of Kerala voted for BJP-NDA in double digits, in 2024 the people of Kerala will give double-digit seats to us. In 2019, the country was giving slogans of 'Phir ek baar Modi Sarkar', in 2024, everyone is saying 'Abki baar, 400 paar," he added.

Earlier in the day, the PM inaugurated three important space infrastructure projects worth about Rs 1,800 crore at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The projects include 'PSLV Integration Facility' at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota; 'Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility' at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri; and 'Trisonic Wind Tunnel' at VSSC, while also reviewing the progress of Gaganyaan.

The Prime Minister also announced the names of the four astronaut designates who are undergoing training for India's first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.

The four astronauts are, Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Subhanshu Shukla.