South Tax movement: Vijayan seeks DMK, AAP support to Kerala government protest in Delhi on 8 February

CPI(M) central committee member EP Jayarajan, the convenor of Kerala’s ruling LDF, told a press meeting in New Delhi that national leaders of all secular parties had been invited to extend solidarity with the protesters.

Still, the names of those who have accepted the invitation will be available only by the evening of Wednesday, when Vijayan arrives in Delhi.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Elamarom Kareem told reporters to wait a little longer for a clearer picture of the participants outside Kerala.

Kerala budget 2024: Quest for revenue amid Union government’s financial curbs

Uncertain support

Though social media handles of the CPI(M) in Kerala are celebrating Stalin’s Malayalam post on X, terming it his care for the party over the Congress, information available from Tamil Nadu says that Stalin would not turn up to address the protest.

ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട കേരള മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി – സഖാവ് @PinarayiVijayan എഴുതിയ കത്ത് ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട കേരള വ്യവസായ മന്ത്രി @PRajeevOfficial എനിക്ക് കൈമാറിയിരുന്നു.

സംസ്ഥാന സർക്കാരുകളുടെ #FiscalAutonomy-യിൽ #UnionGovernment ഇടപെടുന്നതിനെതിരെ സുപ്രീം കോടതിയിൽ കേരള സർക്കാരിൻ്റെ ഹർജിക്ക് തമിഴ്‌നാട്… https://t.co/wSpJBTZ1V9 pic.twitter.com/Z1pvQdcWP9

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 6, 2024

Instead, the DMK is expected to depute either TR Baalu or Kanimozhi — its faces in Delhi — to address the protest.

Though Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been invited, he is unlikely to turn up as the Congress-led Opposition UDF in Kerala is unanimously boycotting the protest, saying it’s part of an election stunt by the LDF involving a lot of extravaganza.

The UDF’s members of Parliament are also expected to stay away from the protest.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) national leadership is trying to get Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to be a speaker at the inaugural of the function.

Most Opposition chief ministers — including Mamata Banerjee, the CPI(M)’s bete noire in West Bengal — have ignored the invitation.

Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, general secretaries of CPI(M) and CPI, are expected to end up as the major national leaders to address the protest.

Though the RSP and the Forward Bloc are also part of the Left in Delhi, their national leaders would stay away as their state units are constituents of the Opposition UDF.

However, there are efforts to bring Delhi-based pro-Left intellectuals, writers, and opinion-makers to the protest venue to give more visibility to the issue.

Elamarom Kareem said that the protest would start as a state minister-led march from Kerala House and end as a sit-in at Janthar Manthar.

“The protest will be 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 an economic blockade,” said Jayarajan.

He also thanked Stalin for his solidarity with Kerala over the protest, highlighting the missing foundational ideals of cooperative federalism.

Also Read: ‘Union govt deliberately caused financial crisis in Kerala’

The allegations

Jayarajan said there was a concerted attempt on the part of the Union government to reduce the popularity of the LDF government by creating an image of “retardation of development”. “Money due to the state, including the share of tax revenue, is withheld by the Centre,” he alleged.

“State infrastructure development is very important. Even as the state faces a financial crisis, the Union government has curtailed even the right to borrow money for developmental activities. The Union Government has borrowed money, and all states have debt liability. But Kerala is not allowed to borrow money,” he charged.

Jayarajan said the Union Government’s “injustice” towards Kerala would be highlighted at the protest.

For several months now, the Kerala government and the LDF have been in protest mode in the state, highlighting how “the BJP-led government is economically stifling the state by slashing down the state’s borrowing limit”, among other factors.

The state has already petitioned the Supreme Court, challenging the Union Government-imposed limits on the state’s borrowing.

Last month, the state Cabinet undertook a month-long tour to enlighten the masses about the Union government’s “anti-people” policies.

Jayarajan said the LDF wanted the agitation to be that of the entire state. “We wanted the UDF to cooperate with the agitation, but unfortunately, they are boycotting. It is the state’s protest against the Union government’s policies. We want their MLAs and MPs to join the agitation,” he said.

Interestingly, Kerala is holding the protest a day after the Congress-led Karnataka government will hold a similar protest in Delhi against the Centre’s neglect of the state.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues, MPs, and MLAs are participating.

Union Budget 2024: Kerala’s interests have been ignored, says CM

Vijayan’s broadside

In Thiruvananthapuram,  Vijayan said the protest was taking place against the backdrop of an unprecedented situation in the history of Kerala.

“Contrary to the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, which received the assent of the President, the Central government 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 the KSSPL company to disburse social security pensions without arrears.

Vijayan said the Central government had taken these steps in violation of the provisions under Article 281 of the Constitution, which was communicated to both houses of Parliament.

He added that under the BJP-led NDA government’s regime, secularism, democracy, and the pluralism inherent in the country’s culture were all facing a serious challenge.

“The Central 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 juncture that the Central government was attempting to erode the essence of the Constitution.

“I appeal to everyone to be part of this struggle to protect constitutional values and secure the state’s rights,” he said.

In 2008, the CPI(M) government under VS Achuthanandan staged a sit-in in front of Parliament in opposition to the Manmohan Singh administration’s economic policies.

The then Cabinet alleged that the Central government had turned a blind eye to the demands of the state.