THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps ignoring Kerala consistently, failing to meet any of its demands. Vijayan, who was denied a meeting with the prime minister for the fourth time on Friday accused the Centre of ignoring the country’s federal structure.
“The PM has been ignoring Kerala. The Centre’s aversion to Kerala’s demands is leading to the collapse of several industries in the state. When we needed to see the PM and submit our requests, we were not allowed to do so,” Vijayan said.
“We need a satisfied state and a strong Centre in the federal system,” Vijayan said, adding that the state’s demands were better fulfilled by the previous governments as compared to the current condition.
“For instance, in the case of the Kanjikode rail coach factory, our requests were completely ignored. The Centre’s involvement must indicate a basic understanding of the federal system and the states’ needs. Unfortunately, the central government does not recognise this need. The previous governments understood this. I am not saying that they took all necessary measures. But things were not as bad as they are now,” he said.
To convey grievances such as reduced ration allocations to meet the food security needs of the state, an all-party delegation had sought permission to meet with the prime minister on Friday. Instead, they were asked to meet the concerned Union minister which triggered Vijayan’s statements about the Centre.
Pinarayi Vijayan extended support to his Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal last week who was on a sit-in at the Lieutenant Governor’s office against the alleged strike of bureaucrats.
