CPI (M) accuses Centre of anti-Kerala mindset in Budget

Thiruvananthapuram, PTI: The ruling CPI (M) on Sunday intensified it’s attack against the Centre over the alleged neglect faced by the state in the union budget 2025-26 and said it reflected the “anti-Kerala” mindset of the BJP. Veteran Marxist party leaders M V Govindan and E P Jayarajan slammed the budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, and Union Minister of State George Kurian’s controversial statement against the southern state with regard to budget allocations.

Reacting to the criticism by the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF against the budget, Kurian had said that if Kerala wanted more funds from the Centre, the state should declare it as backward in terms of education, infrastructure, and social welfare.

CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan alleged that the BJP always adopted an “anti-Kerala stand” and its leaders from the state also have the same outlook. He noted that Kerala has been in the forefront of the human development index, health, education and many other sectors in the country. Referring to the alleged neglect of Kerala’s major demands in the union budget, the Left leader alleged that the BJP and the union government want to create hurdles in the state’s development path.

“The objective of the BJP is to make Kerala poor and backward. They made several attempts to tighten their grip in the state. As all such attempts have failed, they are now trying to push Kerala backward by denying deserved allocations,” Govindan alleged. Further charging that the union government and its ministers are also adopting the same stand, he said Kurian’s remark against the state in connection with the budget allocations was also part of that.mindset.