Union MoS for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian. (Photo: George Kurian/ X)
Union curate and BJP person George Kurian’s comments that Kerala could get a higher budgetary allocation if it was declared backward has caused further contention successful the authorities wherever the ruling CPI(M) and Opposition Congress person been hitting retired astatine the Centre for giving Kerala an “inadequate” stock successful the Budget presented connected Saturday.
Hours aft Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for the fiscal twelvemonth 2025-26, Kurian, who is from Kerala and is Union MoS for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said during an enactment with the media: “Allotment is for backward states. Declare Kerala backward… Say we don’t person roads, we don’t person education. If Kerala declares that the authorities is educationally and socially backward, and infrastructure-wise backward, the (Finance) Commission volition analyse this and springiness a study to the government.”
He was responding to questions connected the money allocation to Kerala successful the Budget.
Alleging that the Union Budget summarily rejected the demands of the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition person V D Satheesan had connected Saturday decried what they said was inadequate allotment of funds to Kerala and neglect towards the assorted packages that the authorities had expected.
Responding to the Union minister’s comments, CPI(M) authorities caput M V Govindan connected Sunday said Kurian should tender an apology to Kerala. “BJP leaders successful Kerala privation to spot it arsenic an impoverished state. The BJP has failed successful its attempts to triumph implicit Kerala and present the enactment wants to marque it a wholly mediocre state. The BJP has adopted an anti-Kerala stand,” helium said.
Several CPI(M) leaders and ministers successful the Left government’s Cabinet besides came retired against Kurian’s remarks.
Senior Congress legislator and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said the Union minister’s connection is an insult to Kerala. “He has nary close to proceed arsenic a minister. He should tender an apology aft retracting the statement. The Budget has nary notation to Kerala. When we are raising the contented arsenic a governmental one, the curate has resorted to insulting the full state. What relation has the BJP and Sangh Parivar played successful the assorted achievements of the state? The Sangh Parivar wants to abolish the achievements the authorities has made implicit the years. Minister Kurian’s words bespeak the tendency of the Sangh Parivar,” said Satheesan.
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Pointing to the mediocre allocation of funds for the state, the Kerala authorities has alleged that the authorities is being punished for making large strides successful societal indicators specified arsenic health, acquisition and colonisation control.
BJP authorities president K Surendran, however, has backed the Union minister. Surendran said connected Sunday: “The exaggerated assertion that Kerala is No 1 is not bully for the state. Kerala has failed successful presenting its backwardness successful galore sectors earlier the Union government.”