Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of acting with vengeance against Kerala as people in the State have rejected the politics of hate spread by the Sangh Parivar.
“There is no place for the ideology of hate in Kerala. Is it right to crucify a State for having rejected the hate politics of the BJP?” he asked. He was speaking at an election convention of K.J. Shine, Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency, at Palluruthy on Thursday.
Alleging that the Centre had tried to squeeze Kerala financially, Mr. Vijayan blamed the Members of Parliaments belonging to the United Democratic Front (UDF) for not speaking against the bias shown by the Centre against the State. Instead, they alleged that the financial mismanagement by the State had resulted in the financial crisis, he said.
Maintaining that the government had no option but to approach the Supreme Court against the discrimination shown by the Centre, the Chief Minister said the State had not received its due share of funds from the Centre. The legal intervention resulted in the apex court directing the Centre to allow Kerala to borrow around ₹13,000 crore. The State’s fight for getting its due share has gained national attention, he said.
Mr. Vijayan alleged that the MPs of the UDF did not intervene effectively against the Uniform Civil Code and the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament. Their response to the discrimination shown by the Centre in various sectors was also muted, he said.
Pointing out that the outcome of the Lok Sabha election would determine whether the country will remain democratic or not, he said the BJP had started realising that its base was getting eroded. They have started realising the power of the people, he said.