The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution against alleged neglect and discriminatory treatment of the state by the Centre across multiple sectors “as reflected in the Union Budget 2026-27”.
The resolution sought the Centre’s urgent attention to the demands made by Kerala, including an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and approval for a high-speed rail corridor that were ignored in the Union Budget. It called on the Centre to respect cooperative federalism and ensure balanced development for Kerala.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, launched a scathing attack on the Central government, accusing it of enforcing a “financial embargo” on Kerala. He termed the Centre’s approach as politically motivated and inhumane, citing the denial of ‘Point of Call’ status for foreign carriers at Kannur International Airport despite repeated pleas to the prime minister.
The resolution asserted that a country can stand tall in the global community only when all its states are secure, developed and prosperous, and warned that weakening states amounts to weakening the nation itself.
It said the Union government’s refusal to consider several long-pending and reasonable demands of Kerala had disappointed the entire Kerala society and raised doubts about the spirit of cooperative federalism and democracy.
The Assembly further condemned the Union government’s response to natural disasters in Wayanad, cuts in borrowing limits, discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grants by the 16th Finance Commission, withholding of IGST dues, and additional financial burdens imposed on Kerala for national highway land acquisition.
Describing the perceived indifference to Kerala’s demands as “an insult to democratic federal principles”, the resolution demanded urgent correction of the Centre’s approach and appealed for justice, balanced development and true cooperative federalism, reflecting a sentiment that transcends political divisions in Kerala.
The resolution was adopted in the absence of the Opposition, which boycotted the proceedings following a standoff with the treasury benches and an alleged altercation with the Watch and Ward staff. Opposition leaders said that they had not been formally informed about the resolution’s introduction. They had boycotted the day’s proceedings earlier, protesting what they alleged was the state government’s manipulation of the Sabarimala gold heist case.