Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: An unseemly war of words erupted over the alleged neglect of Kerala in the latest Union Budget 2025-26 tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. While the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress launched a full-scale attack on the Centre for not making the expected allocations to the state, BJP leader and Union Minister George Kurian suggested that the state be declared 'backward' in order to become eligible for the Central funds.
Kurian's comment made in New Delhi triggered a political storm in Kerala with the rival political parties expressing their strong resentment, saying that their state will never aspire to become backward, come what may.
The row began when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan dismissed the Union Budget as 'disappointing' and 'condemnable', as it did not concede the important demands of the state like the special financial package of Rs 24,000 crore and funds for the rehabilitation of the flood-ravaged Wayanad.
Countering their remarks, Union Minister Kurian clarified that the Centre would allocate such financial packages only to those states which are declared backward based on the respective social and developmental indicators. He dared the ruling CPI(M) to declare Kerala as backward, saying that it does not have basic facilities like the roads, health and education.
Taking a jibe at the Union Minister, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan suggested that the Centre help Kerala develop further instead of asking it to go backwards for the sake of allocations. He asked whether Union Minister Kurian was for Kerala to go backwards. The CPI(M) leader accused the BJP leaders of having taken an anti-Kerala stance.
Govindan further demanded that Union Minister Kurian give a public apology to the people of Kerala for his objectionable comments against the state despite it being neglected in the budget.
On his part, Congress leader and LoP in Kerala Assembly Satheeshan said that Union Minister Kurian had forfeited his right to continue as a Minister after the 'insulting statement' he made with regard to the state. Satheeshan further said that the Union Minister's comments only mirrored the mindset of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, which are not ready to acknowledge the development strides made by Kerala.
