False Propaganda by Opposition Parties, Certain Media Is the Biggest Adversary of Leftist Politics, Says Minister P Rajeev

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev has strongly criticised what he described as a sustained misinformation campaign circulating on social media and in sections of the media, following BJP councillor R Sreelakha’s demand that Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth vacate his office room at Sasthamangalam.

Responding through a detailed Facebook post, the minister said repeated false narratives were being deliberately spread, particularly regarding the monthly allowances of MLAs and reports related to Left leaders visiting families displaced in Yelahanka, Karnataka.

Rajeev said one of the most widely circulated claims—that MLAs receive a monthly allowance of 25,000 rupees exclusively for office expenses—was completely false. “This lie originates from the Sangh Parivar’s misinformation factory,” he wrote. He clarified that Kerala MLAs do not receive any separate office allowance and that the state provides one of the lowest salaries and allowances for legislators in India.

According to the minister, the total monthly amount an MLA receives—including constituency allowance, travel allowance, telephone allowance, information allowance and other benefits—comes to 70,000 rupees, which is meant to cover participation in constituency programs, small public assistance, personal living expenses and office-related costs. “Despite this, BJP’s falsehoods continue to multiply. For them, living by the truth seems impossible,” Rajeev said.

The minister also criticised a report aired by Media One, which claimed that the CPI(M) Karnataka unit had said Kerala leaders need not have visited Yelahanka to protest against the Congress government’s alleged ‘bulldozer rule’. Rajeev termed the report false and pointed out that the CPI(M) Karnataka state secretary himself had issued a clarification denying the claim.

Questioning how anyone could justify the displacement of nearly 300 families through bulldozer action, Rajeev said media outlets that spread such falsehoods should at least show the decency to issue an apology. He concluded by stating that lies remain the biggest adversary of Left politics, as misinformation is repeatedly repackaged and circulated in different forms at the same time.