The Congress also accused the LDF government of being mired in corruption. (file)
Thrissur (Kerala):
Following its victory in Karnataka, where it accused the outgoing BJP administration of being a “40 per cent commission” government, the Congress on Monday termed the ruling LDF in Kerala as an “80 per cent commission” regime. Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala argued that the second term in power has inflated the “arrogance” of the ruling Left and the Kerala Chief Minister.
He also accused the LDF government of being steeped in corruption.
“If it was 40 per cent commission in Karnataka, here (in Kerala) they are taking 80 per cent commission,” Chennithala said at a press conference held here in connection with the alleged Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera scam.
A similar allegation was made by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan while reacting to the Congress leadership during the counting of votes in Karnataka elections a few days back.
Mr Satheesan had said that the Congress campaign in Karnataka had exposed the 40 per cent commission that the ruling government there was allegedly taking.
Referring to AI cameras and other projects, he had said, “Here in Kerala it is 46 per cent or 65 per cent. We will highlight it here.”
The Motor Vehicles Department has installed 726 AI-enabled cameras to track traffic rule violations across the state under the ‘Safe Kerala’ project.
The Congress has been leveling allegations of corruption against the implementation of the ‘Safe Kerala’ project, which aims to reduce road accidents and traffic violations in the state, since its inauguration in April.
During the press conference on Monday, Mr. Chennithala said the party would not allow the Left government to allegedly loot people to line the pockets of relatives of those in power under the guise of the ‘Safe Kerala’ project.
There are allegations that a relative of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is associated with a private company engaged in installation of AI cameras.
Mr. Chennithala claimed that fines imposed under the project have not yet been implemented for fear of consequential massive public outcry.
He said the Congress would gherao the state secretariat on May 20, which is the second anniversary of the LDF government in the state, over various issues, including alleged corruption in the AI camera project.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)