Kochi, April 7 Congress leader V D Satheesan on Tuesday criticized the Left government in Kerala, calling it the most inefficient administration the state has ever seen, and accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of being a "liar".
Speaking to reporters in his Assembly constituency of Paravoor, Satheesan claimed that Vijayan had lied about his and CPI(M)'s past "links" with the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami, and also regarding the work done by the UDF government under late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy.
Satheesan claimed that he "presented video evidence" of the alleged links between the CM and those organizations, forcing Vijayan to "retreat".
"That is why he did not participate in the public debate," he contended.
Satheesan claimed that a white paper issued by the state's former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, and signed by the CM, showed that the UDF administration under Chandy did not delay welfare pensions for 18 months, as claimed by Vijayan, and had built over four lakh homes, compared to the 4,500 projected by the Marxist veteran.
"He (CM) has lied about everything. He has double standards. That is why I call him a liar now," the opposition leader said.
"I have based my claims on data," he added.
He also pointed out that despite promising to increase welfare pensions in their 2021 election manifesto, the LDF only increased it from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,000 towards the end of the government's term.
"That is why I say that this is the most inefficient government Kerala has ever seen. I did not say this about the previous Pinarayi Vijayan administration," Satheesan said.
He also reiterated his confidence that the UDF would win over 100 seats in the April 9 polls to the 140-seat Kerala Assembly.