Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the KPCC’s Kerala yatra being led by president Mullappally Ramachandran is nothing but a “fundraising gimmick”. “It may be the first political rally in the state which is accompanied by a currency note counting machine. The machine which was handed over by K M Mani to KPCC is now used by jatha members,” he said during the inaugural of LDF’s Kerala Samrakshana Yatra here on Thursday.“For KPCC’s yatra to stop at a reception venue, local leaders need to pay Rs 12,500. In the first five days, the captain of the yatra suspended 10 booth committees for failing to mobilize the amount. We need to wait and see how many committees will remain when the yatra reaches the final stop in Thiruvananthapuram,” Balakrishnan said. Taking a dig at the slogan, ‘We discovered India, we will protect India’ raised by Mullappally’s ‘Janamahayatra’, Balakrishnan said the Congress had failed to discover or protect India during the 55 years of its rule. “How can they claim to protect India now?” he asked.The southern leg of LDF’s yatra led by Balakrishnan was flagged off by CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy. The northern leg of the yatra will begin from Kasaragod on February 16 and will be led by CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury will flag off the rally. Both rallies will converge in Thrissur where a mass convention to mark formal campaign for Lok Sabha poll will be held on March 2.Balakrishnan said he received many queries on naming the rally as ‘Kerala Samrakshna Yatra’. “The secular credentials of our state are under serious threat. We are on a mission to protect the secular foundation of our society,” he said.Inaugurating the yatra, Reddy said the Congress was playing a dangerous game in the state in the Sabarimala issue. “They are playing second fiddle to BJP. I wish to warn them that they will lose their credibility and support base. BJP and Congress are supporting outdated ideas and trying to take our society back to 18th century,” said Reddy.Reddy recalled several undemocratic decisions Narendra Modi government had taken. “Yesterday, he spoke again about realising the concept of Akhanda Bharat. What does that mean? Akhanda Bharat is the union of Pakistan, part of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal which had earlier been part of India. Is it necessary in 21st century? Already, we have strained relation with neighbouring countries and such rhetoric will only worsen the situation”, he said.CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan presided over. Ministers E Chandrasekharan, A K Balan and Kadannappaly Ramachandran, MP A Sampath and mayor V K Prasanth were present.

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