Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s Satyagraha Against Centre’s Financial Blockade Begins

Thiruvananthapuram: A satyagraha protest led by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan began today in response to the Centre’s harsh financial blockade against Kerala. The demonstration is being held from 10 am to 5 pm in front of the Palayam Martyrs’ Memorial, with ministers, elected representatives, and Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders participating. Officials say the protest is a continuation of the agitation previously held in New Delhi under the Chief Minister’s leadership.

Kerala has been attempting to advance development through alternative policies and by increasing its own revenue, despite what it terms continued neglect by the Union government. The Centre has adopted an anti-Kerala stance, refusing to allow certain initiatives. Additionally, the entire financial burden of the Employment Guarantee Scheme has been shifted to the state, while several other fund allocations have been withheld under the pretext of branding or administrative issues. Delays in projects aimed at improving the state’s image and the absence of new initiatives are also attributed to this central neglect.

When the BJP-led government denies Kerala its rightful shares and allocations for political reasons, neither the opposition nor much of the media, which should stand with the state, raises its voice. Over the past five years, the Centre has withheld approximately 57,000 crore rupees for Kerala. Even centrally sponsored projects carried out on time in Kerala are viewed by the BJP government as a disadvantage. The strong infrastructure—including roads, hospitals, and schools—has become a reason for withholding central funds, and that the BJP-led government has even interfered with Finance Commission guidelines to penalize states governed by non-NDA parties.