Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling LDF in Kerala on Saturday said it was planning to hold a 'satyagraha' in front of the Raj Bhavan here, the official residence of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in protest against the Centre's policies which are allegedly hindering development and welfare activities in the state.
The 'satyagraha' will be held in front of the Raj Bhavan by LDF's state leaders and people's representatives from Thiruvananthapuram district on September 21 from 10 am to 1 pm, the Left front's convener E P Jayarajan said in a statement. He said the intention behind the protest was to ask the Centre to correct or withdraw its policies and "undeclared economic sanctions" that are allegedly "stifling" the state.
While the Centre was adopting such a stand, the Kerala Governor too was adopting an approach of denial towards the state, he alleged. Jayarajan said this was evident from the fact that Khan has neither signed some bills passed by the state legislature nor sent them back or forwarded them to the President. Instead, the Governor was holding on to the bills indefinitely which was anti-democratic, he contended.
So, through the protest, the Governor will also be asked to correct his approach towards the state, he said. Jayarajan, in his statement, also accused the Congress-led UDF opposition of being a mute spectator to the Centre's actions as it was allegedly not even lifting a finger against the same. He further alleged that the opposition's actions indicated a blind political stand and a vengeful attitude towards the state, besides loyalty towards the BJP-ruled Centre.
A similar allegation was made by Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal during the day. The minister told reporters that the Congress-led UDF was not speaking out, neither in the Parliament nor outside it, against the Central policies affecting Kerala. "They should not act in opposition to Kerala," he said.
Regarding the financial policies of the Centre, Jayarajan contended that Kerala gets a very small share of the Central taxes as compared to states like Uttar Pradesh. The LDF leader also said that from the 10th to the 15th Finance Commission, the state's income from the divisible pool has been reduced from 3.8 per cent to 1.9 per cent. "This alone resulted in a shortfall of Rs 18,000 crore," he claimed.
He also contended that the stopping of GST compensation has led to a loss of Rs 12,000 crore in revenue per year to the state. Additionally, the borrowing limit of the state has been lowered and loans taken by the KIIFB have added to the debt of the government, he contended. (PTI)
