Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues will stage a protest dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 8 against the central government’s `stepmotherly’ treatment towards Kerala.
Ministers, MPs and MLAs mainly belonging to the ruling LDF will take part in the protest. “It’s an unprecedented agitation against the central government's policy of destroying the federal values enshrined in the Constitution and obstructing the development of Kerala through economic blockade,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The dharna will begin at 11 am on February 8.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has expressed solidarity with the proposed protest by the Kerala Cabinet and elected representatives including MP and MLAs. The DMK is also sending its representative to the dharna at Jantar Mantar.
The Congress-led Karnataka government will hold a separate protest against the Centre’s neglect of the state at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues, MPs and MLAs will take part in the protest.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala has declined the LDF Government’s invitation to take part in the dharna in Delhi. Opposition leader V D Satheeshan said while the UDF agrees that the Centre is neglecting Kerala, it also blames the inefficiency of the LDF government for the miseries of the people and the current financial crisis in the state.
Pinarayi Vijayan said the protest is taking place in the backdrop of a unique situation that has never happened before in the history of Kerala. “Contrary to the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, which received the assent of the President of India, the central government has reduced the borrowing limit for Kerala with retrospective effect from the financial year 2021-22,” he said.
The chief minister said such a move came in the wake of the well-intentioned efforts of the state government to set aside a certain portion of the revenue through the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Fund Board (KIIFB) for capital expenditure and raise funds through KSSPL company to disburse social security pensions without arrears.
Pinarayi said the central government had taken these steps in violation of the provisions made under Article 281 of the Constitution of India, which was communicated to both houses of Parliament.
Secularism, democracy and pluralism under threat
Pinarayi said under the BJP-led NDA government’s regime secularism, democracy and the pluralism inherent in the country’s culture, are all facing a serious challenge. “The government is conceiving and executing policies that undermine the values that we have upheld since the days of the national movement,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the situation had come to such a pass that attempts were being made by the rulers to erode the very essence of the country's great Constitution. “I appeal to everyone to be part of this struggle to protect the constitutional values and to secure the rights of the state,” he said.
