Leftist ideology is obsolete: Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the leftist ideology was obsolete and Kerala's development was not possible with an ideology that belonged to the last century.

"The Left ideology is obsolete. It belongs to the last century. Kerala cannot be built by a vision of the previous century," Rahul Gandhi said at a function held at the conclusion of a statewide yatra of Congress state unit president V.M. Sudheeran at Shangumukham beach here.

Launching the election campaign of Kerala's ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front, Rahul Gandhi attacked both the Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party and praised the Oommen Chandy government in the state.

The impressive turnout at the Congress rally surprised many in the ruling party in Kerala, where elections to the 140-member assembly are expected to be held in April-May.

Rahul Gandhi also asked the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist to reveal its liquor policy for the state.

"We and the people of Kerala wish to know if the CPI-M will open the closed down bars," he said.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Gandhi said Modi had cheated the people and failed to deliver on what he had promised.

"He said if his party came to power, everybody will get Rs.15 lakh in their bank accounts. His promise to the housewives that prices will come down has failed to materialise. He is yet to hold the hand of a farmer in the country and the poor farmers have been left high and dry with no prices for their farm produce and their land taken away," Rahul Gandhi said.

Praising Chandy, he said unlike Modi, the chief minister of Kerala had delivered results.

"Even before Modi began to speak of start-up policy, Kerala became the first state in the country to implement one. Today, there are numerous start-up companies in the Start-Up Village where the youth are working. Chandy is one leader who took up the agenda of 'development and care'," the Congress leader said.

And before ending his speech, he said the party will not tolerate corruption.

"Even the slightest of corruption will be dealt with strongly and action taken," he said and asked the Congress rank and file to ensure they fought the coming assembly election unitedly.

Earlier, former defence minister A.K. Antony too praised the Chandy government.