Centre not solely responsible for Kerala’s financial woes: Cong-led UDF

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 8 (PTI) As the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala is holding a protest in the national capital against the alleged neglect by the Centre, the Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday reiterated that the union government was not solely responsible for the southern state’s financial woes.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan said that the UDF did not join the LDF protest in Delhi as “they created a narrative blaming the Central government for all the financial problems of the state to hide their mismanagement, extravagance and corruption”.

The opposition has been saying this for some time.

He also termed as “lies” and “an inflated figure” the Left government’s claims that around Rs 57,000 crore was to be received from the Centre.

Satheesan also claimed that what the Left government said in the Supreme Court was different from what it said in Delhi and what was said in the state assembly regarding the financial woes of Kerala.

He also claimed that the Left government moved the apex court saying that there should be no limit on borrowing by the state.

“If there is no limit, where will it stop? Where will they take the state? They have pushed Kerala into a dangerous financial situation,” he alleged.

Satheesan also said that the 18 UDF MPs in Lok Sabha in a memo given to the Union Finance Minister and he himself in a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have opposed the reduction in the state’s share of Central taxes as per the 15th Finance Commission recommendations.

Regarding the protest held on Wednesday by the Karnataka government against the Centre, the LoP said that was on a different cause and the opposition in Kerala was supporting them on that.

Meanwhile, state Excise Minister M B Rajesh, who is in Delhi for the LDF protest, said that Satheesan was toting the same line as the BJP at the Centre.

“He is more interested in attacking the Kerala government rather than the Central government’s actions,” he told reporters there.

The ruling Left front in Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is holding a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against the Centre’s alleged neglect towards the southern state in financial matters.

Vijayan on Wednesday said that the LDF had to resort to such an unprecedented struggle as it was essential for Kerala’s survival and advancement.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has termed the protest as a “politcal drama”.