Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on April 16 (Tuesday) sought to refute Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged portrayal of Kerala as a State in economic and social decline.
Speaking to reporters in Thrissur, Mr. Vijayan attempted to offer a counter-narrative to Mr. Modi’s main talking points during the latter’s whirlwind electioneering tour in Kerala on April 15.
Mr. Vijayan said NITI Aayog findings belied Mr. Modi’s grim picture of the State. “Kerala has the country’s highest physical quality of life index (PQLI) and the lowest poverty. It topped the country’s sustainable development index and several other parameters, including housing, public health, climate change mitigation and daily earnings. BJP-ruled States, including Uttar Pradesh, compared poorly”, he said.
