THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDF Convener M M Hassan on Monday claimed that Kerala had become the most expensive state in the world. Inaugurating the UDF’s day-and-night protest in front of the Secretariat on Monday, Hassan unleashed his tirade against the LDF government’s budget proclamations of increasing fuel cess and the water tariff and did not even spare Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He alleged that the Pinarayi regime was becoming an “extortion” government. “Once upon a time, Kayamkulam Kochunni extorted money from people in the cover of night. What’s happening in Kerala now is extortion in broad daylight. Has CM Pinarayi Vijayan become a stubborn Vijayan?” Hassan said. The UDF convener also had a few words against Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, alleging that the latter’s antic of increasing the water cess has come as a huge blow to the people.
The day-and-night protest is happening across the state, save for Wayanad and Kannur. The UDF leadership omitted the two districts as senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was in Wayanad for a whirlwind one-day tour of his Lok Sabha constituency, and Kannur hosted IUML’s district meeting on Monday. The protests will conclude at 10am on Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who inaugurated the protest in Kozhikode, said taking people in preventive custody to block protests against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was a violation of the Supreme Court order. He also asked why Pinarayi is afraid of protests. “Youth Congress workers were detained for hours in the name of a programme to be attended by the CM. A girl who protested against the CM was dragged through the road in Ernakulam. A person who went out to buy medicine for his child was terrorised. Pinarayi has become an autocrat,” Satheesan said.
“The UDF has called for more agitations against the tax hike,” he said. Satheesan also pointed out there was a spike in the number of suicides in the state. He said that people are resorting to suicide due to non-payment of salaries and debt traps. “And yet, the government says there is no financial trouble in the state,” Satheesan said.