Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said people are being ruled by compromised politicians and urged people of Kerala to elect leaders with a vision for future.Speaking at a public meeting to campaign for 11 Congress candidates in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, Gandhi said, “Whether it is in Kerala or all India, we are being ruled by cowards. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan bows to Narendra Modi to protect himself. And Modi bows to the US and Israel to protect himself.”She said the party in power in the state is only interested in staying in power and for that they are hand in hand with BJP secretly.Gandhi said state got a govt that was so arrogant and unresponsive in the past 10 years that there was no one to listen to ASHAs when they protested for months.“Nothing is done to modernise fishing community. Instead, ports are taken over by big businessmen. Today farmers, fishermen, tribespeople and every section are struggling. Nurses in Delhi say they could only work as interns in the state. I meet baggage handlers in Middle East airports who say that there are no jobs back home. They are happy that they could send money but prefer to work in the state,” she said.She said ginger farmers of Wayanad say they prefer to cultivate in Karnataka as Kerala govt is not supportive.“LPG price is rising. We have a bunch of leaders who have no compassion for you. They are disconnected from people and their day-to-day struggles in raising children and running a family. They do not understand what it means to be a woman and to be safe. This is not the great democratic tradition of Kerala,” Gandhi said.Stating that Kerala is a jewel, Gandhi said, “You have a culture of awareness and a tradition of accountability, answerability and responsibility of duty. So, it’s been 10 years without the responsibility. Those who are responsible for your future have ignored you. So, make a choice. This is not a mere election. This is a chance to bring back true democratic rule in the state.”
