THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thrissur MP T N Prathapan’s notice to move an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha on Central fund release to the state has caught the Congress leadership unawares. The CPM leadership has latched on to the issue as a political victory for them.
In his notice, Prathapan cited that it was due to the Centre’s neglect that the state had been pushed to severe fiscal crisis. He said the Centre was showing political favouritism. Prathapan blamed the BJP government for providing grants and funds to those states where the BJP is ruling.
When reports on Prathapan’s move to present an adjournment motion came out, CPM central committee member A K Balan was the first to react. It may be recalled that the CPM leadership has been blaming the Centre for the state’s poor financial situation. Expressing happiness over the move, Balan said it is a late blooming of wisdom on the part of Prathapan.
“The Opposition’s change of stand against the Centre has happened due to the ripples created by the ‘Nava Kerala Sadas.’ Congress state president and Opposition Leader have gone berserk ever since the public outreach programme’s popularity soared”, said Balan. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Opposition has finally decided to correct its wrong stand.
Pinarayi also congratulated Prathapan. Speaking to a television channel in New Delhi, Prathapan said that his MP colleagues also shared the same sentiments on the Centre splurging grants and funds to BJP-ruled states. However, the Congress state leadership chose to remain silent on the Prathapan issue.