THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seven-hour-long siege of the Secretariat by the UDF witnessed a scathing attack on the LDF government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Speaking after launching the protest, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan accused the LDF of corruption and mismanagement, emphasising that they will face public trial for their actions. Congress state president K Sudhakaran challenged Pinarayi to present a single project initiated by the LDF government.
This marked the second time that the UDF leadership had led a protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, with the recent demonstration titled ‘From Ration Shop to Secretariat,’ attracting thousands of participants, aiming to shed light on the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling party. Notably, the UDF’s protest coincided with the approaching Lok Sabha elections. Earlier during July 2019, the UDF had led a siege of the Secretariat under the leadership of the then Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.
During the protest, the UDF leaders demanded Pinarayi’s resignation, citing various corruption allegations, including the monthly installment controversy and cooperative bank scams, which have recently plagued the administration. Satheesan criticised the government for extravagant spending on motorcades while struggling to provide essential services like the school’s midday meal programme.