Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Thursday, October 31, took a strong stance against the Union government, accusing it of failing to provide financial support for the rehabilitation of those affected by the devastating landslides in Wayanad, which claimed more than 200 lives. He also took a dig at the Union government in his Kerala formation day message on November 1 by saying, “The current situation where communal political forces are trying to weaken it adds to the relevance of this Kerala formation day celebration.”
Speaking at an event, he accused both the BJP-led Union and the Congress-led UDF opposition of blocking the state’s progress. He criticized the Union government’s “blatant neglect” toward Kerala, pointing out that the Union government did not provide any financial aid though it has been more than three months since the Wayanad tragedy.
Accusing the union government of bias, he said that while other states affected by natural disasters often receive aid promptly, Kerala’s appeals have been ignored even before formally requesting it, the CM said.
Slamming the Congress party, he alleged that the Opposition instead of advocating for Kerala’s needs, had chosen to remain silent on this neglect. His remarks come amid the bye-polls for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and assembly seats in Palakkad and Chelakkara.
The Chief Minister said that despite orders from the Kerala High Court and requests from the State Legislature, the Union government has shown no willingness to grant the Rs 1,202 crore Kerala needs for rehabilitation.
In his Kerala formation day message, he said that Kerala has always maintained the values of democracy, secularism and social justice and has grown as a model for the entire country in terms of quality of life and people's welfare. “We have built all these achievements on the foundation laid by the national movement and the revival movement. The current situation where communal political forces are trying to weaken it adds to the relevance of this Kerala Birth Day celebration. This is the time when everyone should be ready to understand the great cultural heritage of modern Kerala and the long history it has gifted and copy it in their lives.”
“It can be assured that the efforts of the ancestors who fought for united Kerala will not go in vain. Let's take on the challenges of the new age and make the glory of Kerala brighter. May we be able to embrace humanity beyond caste, religion and regional differences and move forward hand in hand with each other,” he said.