Ruling CPI(M) accuses Centre of imposing economic sanctions on Kerala; announces protest from Sep 11

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Monday accused the Centre of imposing economic sanctions on the state and announced a massive public protest against the BJP-led Union government from September 11.

Amidst the campaigning for the Puthuppally assembly bypoll, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also targeted the Congress-led UDF in the state, accusing the opposition parties of not opposing the Centre's economic sanctions on the state.

Addressing a press conference after a CPI(M) state committee meeting here, Govindan said the party will carry out massive public protests across Kerala from September 11 onwards against the Centre's financial policies and the stand taken by it and the Congress-led UDF on the issues of price rise and unemployment.

The CPI(M) state secretary contended that both the BJP-ruled central government and the UDF opposition in Kerala were not taking steps to address the problems faced by the people.

'Instead, they are blaming the Left government here for everything. It is a political strategy. They are trying to find the means to push the state into a financial crisis,' he alleged.

He said that the Centre's various measures -- including stopping of GST compensation, reducing the state's share in central taxes, cutting down the borrowing limits of Kerala and adding to its debt the loans taken by PSUs like KIIFB -- were pushing the state into financial problems.

The CPI(M) leader also said that while it was trying to address the issue of price rise -- by intervening in the market -- and unemployment, by creating more jobs, neither the Centre nor the UDF were helping in any manner and were only blaming the Left front administration.

Govindan said that the UDF MLAs had agreed to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on a specific date to hold discussions on finding a solution for the financial crisis the state was being pushed into due to certain policies of the Centre.

'However, on the appointed date, they (UDF MLAs) never showed up. Despite that, the LDF MLAs met the Union Finance Minister and placed before her the memorandum prepared by the Kerala government,' he said.