The Delhi protest comes at a time Kerala is battling the Union government in the Supreme Court over financial discrimination.
Pinarayi Vijayan (Screengrab)
With Kerala government’s much-awaited protest in New Delhi against the Union government’s “step-motherly treatment” of the state just days away, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stressed the need for a united voice and asked all political parties to join him and his Cabinet members at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
He reiterated the need to step up “efforts” to prevent the Union government from undermining the principles of federalism by challenging the constitutional values, at a time the Opposition Congress-led UDF remained adamant about participating in the protest.
The protest against the Union government in New Delhi is set for 8 February, and the chief minister said the agitation needs to become a concerted struggle against the “injustices” being faced by the state.
People from various walks of life, including ministers, MLAs, MPs and many others would join the protest at Jantar Mantar, he said while addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, 27 January.
“Chief ministers of the non-BJP states have been invited to join a gathering organised to express their solidarity with the agitation,” he detailed.
The Left veteran also said that everybody is requested to be part of this struggle to protect the constitutional values and ensure the deserved rights of the state.
Among those invited to the protest is Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
The Delhi protest comes at a time the state is battling the Union government in the Supreme Court over discrimination, especially on the financial front, and seeking a direction that it be allowed to raise resources to execute its welfare programmes and infrastructure projects.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court has asked the Union government to respond in two weeks to the Kerala government’s suit that accuses it of interfering in the exercise of the state’s “exclusive, autonomous and plenary powers” to regulate its finances by imposing a ceiling on net borrowing.
In the suit filed under Article 131, the Kerala government said the Constitution bestows fiscal autonomy on states to regulate their finances under various articles, and borrowing limits or the extent of such borrowings are regulated by a state legislation.
Article 131 of the Constitution deals with original jurisdiction of the apex court in any dispute between the Union government and states.
The suit referred to the letters dated 27 March, 2023, and 11 August, 2023, issued by the Union government, through the Ministry of Finance (Public Finance-State Division), Department of Expenditure, and the amendments made to section 4 of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003.
It alleged that the Union government “seeks to interfere with the finances of the state by (i) imposing a net borrowing ceiling on the plaintiff state in the manner deemed fit by the defendant Union, which limits borrowings from all sources including open market borrowings…”
It also gave the figure of dues as of 31 October, 2023, which had accumulated over the years because of the financial constraints stemming from the ceiling imposed by the Union government on borrowing.
On Saturday, Vijayan hit out at the BJP-led government in Delhi, alleging that its policies were the main hindrance to the state’s efforts for the creation of “Nava Kerala” (New Kerala).
Despite achieving good tax revenues and domestic production, the financial crisis caused by the Union government’s policies was tightening the state’s fiscal situation, he charged.
There has been a reduction of ₹6,000 crore in the total borrowing limit of the state in the financial year 2023-24, the chief minister pointed out.
The state prepared it’s fiscal policy with a five-year plan and a sudden cut in this would put it under acute financial strain, he said, adding that “this is what happened in Kerala”.
Pointing out the example of the housing project “LIFE”, he said even in the projects in which Union government’s contribution was nominal, it was forcing its own branding on the schemes. This won’t be allowed in Kerala, he said.
In these circumstances, the government was forced to stage an agitation in the national capital, Vijayan added.
Vijayan further said his government would continue the public debates and face-to-face discussions, began as part of the recently-concluded outreach programme Nava Kerala Yatra, to connect with the people of the state.
People belonging to different fields would be invited for the discussions and as an initial step, a face-to-face programme would be organised in 10 selected centres with the participation of such people, he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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