Thiruvananthapuram | BJP's Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar on Friday sought to puncture Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's claim about the southern state's progress in various sectors, citing incidents including the recent murder of a young doctor and corruption allegations against his government.

In his blog titled 'Demystifying Kerala No 1', the senior Rajya Sabha MP said, "Vijayan always says Kerala is No 1 but the state is No 1 in crime, corruption, nepotism, gold smuggling and its connection with a CMO official, money laundering, drugs, and lottery and liquor sales." Attacking the CPI(M)-led LDF government, the former Union Minister alleged that crimes like atrocities against Dalits, murder, loot, cheating, theft, attacks, and crimes against women are rising in Kerala.

Referring to various allegations of corruption against the Vijayan-led government, Javadekar charged that the "people are experiencing LDF cut (corruption) in every pay to the people." "In all corruption cases, either CMO officials or political relatives of LDF-UDF leaders are involved", the senior BJP leader alleged.

He alleged that "syndicate drugs are flowing on a massive scale to Kerala" and the state government is doing nothing to stop this menace.

"Rising drug abuse in Kerala is now a major point of concern for parents," Javadekar said.

He also said lottery and liquor, the sale of which help the state government raise revenue to meet expenses, have destroyed the health, wealth, and wellbeing of millions of families.

"The Kerala government is starting new and new outlets for beverages outlet. LDF wants Keralites to drink more alcohol and purchase more lottery tickets so that they can collect more taxes. LDF owes an answer to the people of Kerala", he said.