Palakkad (Kerala) [India], March 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the central government has prioritised the safety of Indians in conflict zones amidst the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which has a sizeable number of people from Kerala.

Addressing a campaign rally in Palakkad this afternoon, the Prime Minister emphasised that safeguarding the interests of Indian citizens remains the top priority of the BJP-led NDA government. He also took aim at Congress over the issue and accused it of politicising the sensitive issue by making 'dangerous' statements.

He further alleged that the Congress was seeking political gains at the cost of the safety of nearly one crore Indians living in Gulf countries.

'Right now, everyone's eyes are on the war unfolding in West Asia. Our government is continuously working to ensure that the impact of this war on India is minimised as much as possible. Protecting the interests of Indians is of paramount importance for the BJP-NDA government. You must also remember how Congress is playing politics in this sensitive matter; the kind of statements Congress is issuing are dangerous. The Congress wants the lives of nearly 1 crore Indians living in Gulf countries to be put in danger so that it can then reap political benefits from it,' said PM Modi.

Highlighting the government's response to the West Asia conflict, the Prime Minister noted that India is closely monitoring the situation and actively working to minimise its impact on the country. He added that he has been in constant touch with leaders of nations affected by the conflict to ensure the safety of Indians, particularly those from Kerala working in the region. Indian embassies, he said, are operating round the clock to assist citizens in affected areas.

'Many people from Keralam are working in the war-affected areas. Ever since the war began, I have been in constant touch with the heads of state of all these countries, maintaining contact. All those countries are prioritising the safety of Indians stuck in the war zones. To ensure that our brothers and sisters there face no hardship, the Indian embassies are working day and night,' said the Prime Minister.

Intensifying his criticism, PM Modi accused both the Congress and Left parties of poor governance, claiming their track record shows a pattern of mismanagement wherever they have been in power. He cited examples from states like West Bengal and Tripura under Left rule, and alleged failures by Congress governments across the country.

'The Congress and Left have a track record that wherever they come to power, they leave everything in ruins. The whole country knows what the Left did in Bengal and Tripura; everyone has also seen what Congress did across the country. Keralam too has been crushed in the same nefarious schemes of theirs. Reports of delays in salary payments to government employees come from here,' said the Prime Minister.

Referring to Kerala, he pointed to recent controversies over delayed payments of dearness allowance (DA) and leave encashment for government employees. He argued that while Congress criticises the Left in Kerala, similar governance issues persist in Congress-ruled states such as Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, which he claimed are facing stalled development and economic challenges.

'Recently, there was a major controversy in Kerala regarding the pending payments of DA and leave encashments for government employees. The Congress attacks the Left for all this, but even where the Congress is in power, the situation is bad. Just look at the neighbouring Karnataka; most development works there have also come to a halt. Himachal Pradesh is also in economic crisis. This is the Congress's governance model,' said the Prime Minister. (ANI)