Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has accused the Centre of adopting a step-motherly attitude to the State and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of failing to wrest the State’s due from the Central government.
Inaugurating a Raj Bhavan march organised by the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Tuesday to flag issues such as the Kanjikode railway coach factory, need to curb rubber import and cut in foodgrain quota before the Centre and in protest against the inefficiency of the State government, Mr. Chennithala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were pursuing politics of murder and provoking people.
No new project had been launched in the State since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. He had not visited the State to lay foundation stone for any new project. He came here to commission the Kochi metro that was initiated by the UDF government, Mr. Chennithala said.
The Centre was not even according permission to meet a delegation of State leaders to raise crucial issues, he said.
He accused the Centre of evading the State’s demand for the coach factory. While the Union Railway Minister issued a letter saying that the coach factory project had been dropped, subsequently he said that it had not been relinquished.
Moves were afoot to shift the Rubber Board office from the State. The Centre was unwilling to provide funds for replanting rubber trees, he said. The Centre was not providing adequate foodgrain and the State was unable to get its due.
KPCC president M.M. Hassan accused the Centre and State governments of failing to meet the demands of the people.
Leaders of various UDF constituents also addressed the march.
