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Kerala chief minister Vijayan leads protest against Centre’s ‘financial injustice’
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said they came together to register a strong protest and preserve India’s federal structure
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan led a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government over “financial injustice” in Delhi on Thursday, a day after the Karnataka government’s similar demonstration.
“We are beginning a reunited fight that would herald the dawn of ensuring equal treatment of the states. This fight will also strive to maintain balance in the Centre-State relations. February 8 is going to be a red letter day in India’s history,” said Vijayan. He added they came together to register a strong protest and preserve India’s federal structure.
Vijayan demanded immediate GST compensation, revenue deficit grant, fair tax devolution, and settlement of pending central grants. He said equitable distribution of resources was crucial for development.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Mann, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, former Union minister Kapil Sibal, and Tamil Nadu minister Palanivel Thiagarajan were among those who attended the protest.
The Union government accused the Congress of fuelling a “separatist mentality” wanting to “break up the country” based on outrageously “false claims” as Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah took to Delhi’s streets on Wednesday to protest alleged “financial discrimination” against the state.
The protests mark deepening fissures between the Union government and states ruled by parties opposed to the BJP, particularly those from southern India.
West Bengal chief minister led a two-day protest in Kolkata this week. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin wrote to Vijayan offering his support and called for like-minded “progressive states” to resist the Union government’s intentions to cripple the ability of states to raise resources and fund crucial development initiatives. “Although this has been happening for quite some time, the situation has rapidly deteriorated in the last few years and there is a clear consensus emerging among progressive State governments that such indirect control over state finances needs to be done away with,” Stalin said.
