THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after an in-flight protest against him by Congress workers, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for 'resistance' against the Opposition's attempts to scuttle development in the state through political protests. The Chief Minister was addressing the 'Nava Kerala' development seminar organised by the EMS Academy here on Tuesday.
"We should not remain silent towards such protests but should resist it politically and expose their (Opposition's) motives before the society," Pinarayi said. He added that the Opposition's 'narrow-minded approach' stemmed from the concern that such development projects would bring more popularity to the LDF.
"The Opposition thinks that development projects being undertaken in the state will harm them. This mindset applies to both UDF and BJP. So, they are trying all means to scuttle development," Pinarayi said.
On the Silverline semi-high speed rail project, the Chief Minister said the state government could move forward on it only after it gets the Centre's approval. He said the Centre had adopted a favourable stance toward the project initially but is now hesitant on giving approval in the face of agitation by the Opposition and the BJP joining in the protests.
The Chief Minister warned that right-wing forces were attempting communal polarization in the state. "Attempts are being made to divide people. We need to put up stiff resistance to such moves and mobilise people against it," he added.
On Monday, two youth Congress workers, one of them wearing a black shirt, had raised slogans against the Chief Minister inside the aircraft, in which he was travelling from Kannur, shortly after it landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport.