Centre, Congress United Against Kerala’s Development, Says CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Union government of acting in a vindictive manner towards Kerala, alleging that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was adopting an approach that supports the Centre’s stance. He said both were driven by a “mean-minded attitude” that Kerala should not progress when LDF is in power.

The Chief Minister was inaugurating the protest being held in front of the Palayam Martyrs’ Memorial.

He said the agitation was being conducted to defend Kerala’s legitimate demands. “This protest is to tell the Centre not to destroy this state and not to deny what rightfully belongs to Kerala. The state is not asking for anything it does not deserve,” he said. He called on all those who care about Kerala to raise their voices together against this neglect, adding that it was unfortunate that certain elements in the state were unwilling to do so.

The Chief Minister alleged that both the BJP and the Congress were standing with the Centre’s vendetta against Kerala, calling it an extremely unfortunate position. He said it was this situation that forced the state to enter into such a struggle.

The protest, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is being held from 10 am to 5 pm at the Palayam Martyrs’ Memorial, with ministers, elected representatives, and LDF leaders participating. The protest is a continuation of the agitation earlier held in New Delhi under the Chief Minister’s leadership.