THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said that everyone knows that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has a long standing grouse against State Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran.
Ramachandran was the Congress Lok Sabha member from the home turf of Vijayan - Kannur - for five consecutive terms from 1984 to 1998.
On Tuesday, after Mullapally said that Vijayan is being extravagant and was not looking after the needs of the ordinary Kerala diaspora, Vijayan slammed Mullapally for his utterances.
"This is known to all that Vijayan has an axe to grind against Mullapally. It is not fit for a person who is the Chief Minister. He should have responded with more finesse. We pointed out certain lapses in the way issues are being handled during COVID-19 times and we never indulged in politicking," said Chennithala.
"The government is trying to project as if COVID-19 is the cause of the state's poor financial condition. The real truth is the state's finances have reached a point of no return when the government treasury from January this year was unable to even honour bills worth Rs 5000, due to the appalling fiscal management by State Finance Minister Thomas Issac. Vijayan is jittery and hence he reacted like that," added Chennithala.
Chennithala also asked the Vijayan government not to compulsorily withhold one month's salary of all Kerala state government employees.
"Here again, Vijayan was wrong, as states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra have deferred 50 per cent of salaries of a section of government employees, while in Tamil Nadu, it's only a day's salary. We are not against salary challenge, but it should be given as a choice to the employees on how much they should part with to the government's coffers. We will continue to point out lapses and Vijayan should not stoop low," said Chennithala.