Describing the satyagraha as a fight for survival in an extraordinary situation, the Chief Minister said the Centre has consciously created hurdles to block Kerala’s development.
File Photo: IANS
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Central government of adopting a biased and vengeful attitude towards Kerala and deliberately creating obstacles to hinder the state’s growth.
Inaugurating the ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) ‘Satyagraha’ protest against the BJP-led Union government’s alleged political vendetta and denial of Kerala’s rightful financial allocations, at the Martyrs’ Column in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said the Centre, through its policies, is attempting to weaken the state and stall its progress.
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Describing the satyagraha as a fight for survival in an extraordinary situation, the Chief Minister said the Centre has consciously created hurdles to block Kerala’s development.
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“The state is being discriminated against and denied its rightful share of financial resources and support,” he said.
Kerala is not demanding anything it does not deserve, Vijayan asserted, adding that everyone who has an interest in the welfare of the state should stand united against this neglect.
“The Centre has deliberately created obstacles to stop the growth of our state. In this matter, everyone who is concerned about Kerala should stand together and raise their voice. Unfortunately, some groups in the state are not prepared to speak out against the Centre,” he said.
Vijayan further alleged that the Centre is attempting to snatch away Kerala’s constitutionally guaranteed rights, which should not happen in a democratic country.
He also dismissed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement that Kerala would have a BJP Chief Minister next time, saying such a scenario would never become a reality in the state.
The satyagraha, held in front of the Palayam Martyrs’ Column from 10 am to 5 pm, was led by Chief Minister Vijayan and attended by state ministers and LDF leaders. The protest is a continuation of an earlier demonstration led by the Chief Minister in Delhi.
Meanwhile, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Monday that Chief Minister Vijayan’s criticism of the Central government over Kerala’s financial crisis amounted to an admission of failure by the LDF government on the financial front after nearly a decade in power.
He accused the Chief Minister and the LDF government of misgovernance, fiscal mismanagement, and deliberately misleading the public ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Rejecting Vijayan’s allegation that the NDA government is discriminating against Kerala, Chandrasekhar said the Modi government is not curtailing any rightful claims of the state.
“The UPA government gave ₹72,000 crore to Kerala, whereas the Modi government has given ₹3.2 lakh crore. During Pinarayi Vijayan’s tenure, the state’s debt increased threefold. Unemployment rose to 30 percent, inflation increased to 8.27 per cent, 54 lakh households lack drinking water, and 5.5 lakh people do not have homes,” he claimed.
“The Chief Minister is attempting to take on more debt. This reflects the incompetence of the government,” Chandrasekhar said.
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