New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Christians in Kerala are fed up with the “lies” being told by the Congress-led United Front and the CPI(M)-led vigilantes, while claiming the community is against the people of India Trust in the party has grown.

Prime Minister Modi claimed that community members have been supporting the BJP in many places, including Goa and northeastern states.

On April 26, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with AsiaNet News before the Lok Sabha polls for all 20 seats in Kerala that the trust of the Christian community in the Bharatiya Janata Party is growing and that the party will continue to make every effort for their benefit.

The BJP has been making a concerted effort to win over the community, which holds influence in several Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, as the party hopes to make a significant impact in the state, where it has never won any seats.

Responding to a question, Prime Minister Modi pointed out that the BJP is in power in Goa, which has a large Christian population, while in the Northeast, Christians are a majority in some states and have large numbers of Christians in other states.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies are in power in most states in the northeastern region.

The prime minister said several chief ministers and ministers are Christians, noting that he regularly meets with community leaders and organizes Christmas celebrations.

He said community leaders in Kerala told him how church properties in the state were facing crisis due to LDF and UDF and highlighted the government’s efforts to help them, including fishermen.

“The Christian community is tired of the lies of the vigilantes and the Democratic Alliance,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the community’s contribution in the fields of health and education and said his government was aligned with them on many issues.

“The Christian community has a growing trust in us and we will continue to do everything we can to work for their benefit,” he said.

He lashed out at the two major forces in Kerala, the Congress and the Left, saying they have been fooling people.

“Both parties are two sides of the same coin,” PM Modi said, adding that the Congress party would demand jailing of Left leaders in Kerala but would condemn “vindictiveness” if they were arrested politics.

The Prime Minister slammed the ruling Left Front in the state for alleged financial irregularities in a cooperative bank run by Left groups and said nearly Rs 100 crore belonging to the poor and common people of the state has been deposited in the bank.

Prime Minister Modi said that the Enforcement Directorate has seized Rs 90 crore and the government is seeking legal advice to return the money to its owner.

The Prime Minister reiterated that people decided to elect his party for a second term at the Center as they can now compare his government with the previous one and support his work.

“In 2014, we gave hope to the people of India. In 2019, we instilled confidence and in 2024, we promised to provide the ‘Modiji Assurance’ to the people of India,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)