Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan leads LDF’s protest against Central policies, calls it ‘fight for survival’

A high-profile protest led by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala against the policies of the BJP-led Union government began at the Martyrs’ Column in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (January 12, 2025) morning with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan describing it as a “fight for survival” in an extraordinary situation “where the State is being discriminated against and denied its rightful share” of financial resources and support.

Accusing the Centre of adopting “a biased and vengeful attitude” towards Kerala, Mr. Vijayan said the State is demanding only what is Constitutionally eligible to it. Through its policies, the Centre was trying to hinder the State’s progress and weaken it, he alleged.

Responding to remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Mr. Vijayan said the latter’s dreams will not materialise in Kerala. “Contrary to Mr. Shah’s claims, Kerala’s tax share has in fact dipped during the 15th Finance Commission compared to the 14th,” he said.

He also asked Mr. Shah to clarify the Centre’s stand on NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam’s remarks that the Narendra Modi government tried to make the 14th Finance Commission slash the tax share of States. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not denied it to date. Mr. Shah should also have thrown light on this matter,” Mr. Vijayan said.

Mr. Vijayan presented an array of figures to support the State government’s charge that Kerala was being discriminated against by the Centre. The Centre has slashed ₹5,900 crore from the State’s eligible borrowing limit of ₹12,000 crore for the January-March quarter of the current fiscal, he said. Payments pending from Centre, till September 2025, amounted to ₹5,783.69 crore. This includes ₹636.88 crore, ₹750.93 crore under UGC benefits, ₹324 crore under the Central share of social security pensions, ₹1,206.69 for paddy procurement, ₹1248.13 crore under Samagra Shiksha Kerala, ₹974.68 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission, ₹200.2 crore under Poshan Abhiyan, ₹161.63 crore under fisheries development schemes, ₹54.19 crore under food security schemes, ₹43.44 crore under Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, ₹37.40 crore under dairy development schemes and ₹55.51 crore under women and child development schemes.

Kerala also stood to lose ₹3,544 crore through the Centre’s stipulations regarding man-days under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), the Chief Minister said. “These attempts cannot be seen as targeting LDF alone, but they affect all sections of the people and the State,” he said, calling for a united stand against the Central policies.

The Chief Minister accused the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) of refusing to raise its voice to protect the State’s interests. The Congress was yet to recognise that its tacit support for the BJP is self-destructive. “They have become a group that is not hesitant to wear the ornaments of the RSS on occasion,” he alleged. He also demanded the Opposition to clarify what it stood to gain from its stand.

LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan alleged that the Centre was persecuting Kerala by imposing an economic blockade. “This is protest is intended to expose the Centre’s anti-people polices and its treatment of the State,” he said.

The protest also comes ahead of the tabling of the Union Budget on February 1 and the State Assembly elections in the first half of this year.

In February 2024, Mr. Vijayan had led a stir at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the ‘attack on federalism’ by the Centre. Kerala had also approached the Supreme Court against Central policies.

Revenue Minister K. Rajan presided. Ministers, CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan, CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam, and Left MLAs were among those present.