THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s attempt to pacify key LDF ally CPI, disgruntled over the state government signing the PM SHRI MoU with the Union government, failed on Monday with the latter remaining firm on its demand that the state should withdraw from the agreement.
Besides CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, the party’s four ministers attended the hour-long meeting at Alappuzha guest house. CPM state secretary M V Govindan was also present. During the meeting, the CM made it clear that the state won’t be able to back out of the project. Only the Union government has the authority to cancel the MoU, he said.
However, both CPM and CPI intensified their efforts to reach a consensus and prevent the situation from getting out of control. The CPM sought the intervention of its national leadership.
Party general secretary M A Baby held discussion with his CPI counterpart D Raja in Delhi.
The CPM has also decided to convene a meeting of the LDF state committee shortly to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, the CPI has called a meeting of its state council on November 4.
Pinarayi assured the CPI leaders during the meeting that the National Educational Policy (NEP) would not be implemented in the state. However, Binoy contended that since the state has only signed an MoU, it can withdraw from the scheme. He alleged that the whole scheme is designed to showcase the NEP.
PM SHRI: Final decision will be taken soon, says Binoy
Binoy is learnt to have told the CM that since the CPI and the CPM along with other Left parties jointly decided to resist implementation of NEP, CPI cannot support PM-SHRI programme. Speaking to media after the meeting, Binoy said, “The issues raised by the CPI have not yet been resolved. The party will discuss the matter with state and central leaders and a final decision will be announced in the coming days.”
Earlier in the day, the CPI state executive authorised the state secretariat to take a decision on the issue in line with the party’s stand.
Though the CPI state secretariat held after the meeting with the CM, did not consider boycotting the next cabinet meeting on Wednesday, CPI insiders said all options are open if both parties fail to reach an amicable solution.
Meanwhile, the CPI state executive urged the leadership not to compromise on its declared stand against NEP. The meeting concluded that the current issue is not merely administrative. “This is a political issue. It is against the Left’s principles. No compromise is possible on this,” a leader said. Nevertheless, all leaders agreed that the CPI should not consider leaving the LDF. At the same time, the party must not yield to the conciliatory tactics of the CPM and should uphold its position at any cost.
“If the CPI decides to stay away from the cabinet, there are chances that the cabinet meeting may be extended by one or two days. However, it remains to be seen whether the CPM and the CM will take such a step to give the CPI some breathing space,” an LDF leader said.
Earlier in the day, the CPM secretariat decided to pursue discussion with CPI.
“The party believes that the PM SHRI programme and the associated funds are the state’s rightful due,” a leader said. “However, we would try to reach a consensus,” he added.
CM misled cabinet on PM SHRI project, says V D Satheesan
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Sunday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of misleading the cabinet over the Centre’s PM SHRI school project.“The education minister deceived even the chief minister by secretly signing the PM SHRI project.
No one would betray their own government in this manner even outside the country,” said Satheesan. He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘Kuttavicharana March’ at Anchalumootil, organised by the UDF against the alleged mismanagement of the Kollam Corporation.
The march was led by MP N K Premachandran, rally captain Bindu Krishna, A K Hafeez, and Naushad Yunus. Satheesan detailed the issues listed in the chargesheet prepared against the corporation. In his address,
Premachandran said the Kollam corporation had turned into a ‘den of corruption’ and that the next civic polls would serve as a verdict against it. UDF district chairman K C Rajan presided over. RSP Central secretariat member A A Aziz, Congress political affairs committee member Bindu Krishna, DCC president P Rajendra Prasad and Muslim League district president Naushad Yunus took part, among other leaders.
