Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come down on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre for financially strangling the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala just because it is not subscribing to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda.
He was delivering a speech at the Navakerala Sadas, the government’s public outreach initiative, for the Kozhikode South and Kozhikode North Assembly constituencies at the Kozhikode beach on Saturday evening. “In the country, a Left government is in power only in Kerala. As we know, the NDA government at the Centre is implementing the RSS agenda. Some people may adjust with it, but we cannot do it. Neither the Left forces in the country nor the LDF in Kerala have never adjusted with the RSS agenda,” he said.
Mr. Vijayan alleged that because of taking this political stand, the Centre was looking at Kerala from a particular point of view and torturing it. The Centre was also trying to usurp the State’s powers. The Chief Minister cited the denial of permission for an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kozhikode as an example of the anti-Kerala attitude of the NDA government. “We are eligible to get an AIIMS here. Everyone will agree that it will help Kerala improve its position in the health sector. But despite trying for many years, the permission is elusive,” Mr. Vijayan said. Every time the announcement for new AIIMS are made, Kerala look up to it hoping that it would get the facility. “But we are being left out all the time,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Vijayan claimed that one of the main reasons for the Centre’s attitude was the alternative policies being implemented by the LDF government. “We are taking a different stand on issues such as communalism, divisive politics et al compared with the Centre. Even on the Citizenship [Amendment] Act issue, we saw that. Now, when we are trying to help the extremely poor people come out of their pitiable conditions. One Union Minister is saying that it is wasteful expenditure,” he pointed out.
Earlier, attending the breakfast meeting hosted by the Chief Minister, Varghese Chakkalakkal, Bishop of the Calicut Diocese, complimented the Chief Minister for reaching out to people to hear their opinion on governance. Mr. Vijayan and his colleagues later participated at the Navakerala Sadas at Koyilandy, Balussery and Elathur Assembly constituencies. People braved heavy rain at Balussery and Elathur to attend the event. Mr. Vijayan said at Elathur that the per capita income of the State had gone up from ₹1,48,000 crore in 2016 to ₹2,28,000 crore now. As many as 3,588 representations were filed in Koyilandy, 5,461 were given in Balussery, 3224 in Elathur, 1,517 in Kozhikode South and 2,258 in Kozhikode North.
The third day of the Navakerala Sadas will begin at Snehatheeram Convention Centre, Omassery, on Sunday. Breakfast meeting will be held at 9 a.m. The event for the Thiruvambadi Assembly constituency will be held at Mukkom orphanage ground at 11 a.m., for Koduvally at KMOHS ground at Koduvally at 3 p.m. Kunnamangalam at Kunnamangalam HSS at 4.30 p.m. and for Beypore at Nallur stadium at 6 p.m.
