Thiruvananthapuram | With Kerala in poll mode, the BJP on Monday came under attack from both the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress over the union budget, amid allegations that the state was "neglected", even as the party defended the proposals presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament a day earlier.
While the CPI(M) called for observing February 3 as a ‘black day’ to protest what it termed the Centre’s "neglect" of Kerala in the budget, the Congress also slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying it was presented "as if the state did not exist".
Defending the Centre, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the budget contains several provisions beneficial to Kerala, but questioned whether the state has the "capacity and political will" to implement them.
In a press statement, the CPI(M) state secretariat said the budget appeared to have been presented as if Kerala "did not exist on the map of India."
It claimed that Kerala had placed 29 demands before the union finance minister ahead of the budget, but none were accepted.
The party said Kerala "did not receive any long-pending projects" and criticised the Centre for "again ignoring" the state’s demand for an AIIMS and excluding it from the seven high-speed rail corridors announced for railway development.
It also claimed that no special package was approved for the Vizhinjam port, while Kerala was "denied" an All India Institute of Ayurveda.
The state was also "left out" of inland water transport projects, it added.
The CPI(M) said the budget "failed to protect" Kerala’s traditional industries and did not include the state in announcements on universities and townships.
It added that there was no provision for a rubber price stabilisation fund, nor any mention of the proposed railway coach factory.
The party further accused the Centre of "ignoring" NRI welfare and scheme workers, including ASHA workers, and alleged that the budget "favoured corporate interests" by not increasing corporate taxes and by reducing the alternate minimum tax for large companies.
It also criticised cuts in the employment guarantee scheme, saying they would "severely affect" Kerala.
"There has been no move to strengthen welfare schemes. By completely neglecting the poor, the Budget has delivered yet another blow to Kerala," the CPI(M) said.
As part of the protest, the party said black flags would be hoisted at all booths on February 3 and urged people to participate in demonstrations against what it described as an "anti-people" budget.
AICC leader and Congress MP K C Venugopal said that even Kerala’s legitimate demands, including an All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a high-speed rail corridor, were ignored.
He said the UDF "could not remain silent in the face of such neglect towards the people" of the state, who are among the highest tax-paying citizens in the country.
Venugopal said UDF MPs organised a protest in Parliament against the Centre’s "neglect" of Kerala in the budget.
"The protest against this ‘anti-Kerala’ budget will continue," he added.
Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said that instead of presenting a report card on its performance during its 10 years in power in Kerala, the CPI(M) was resorting to routine allegations, particularly ahead of elections, that the Centre was "neglecting" the state.
He said that even during periods when the Congress was in power both at the Centre and in Kerala, and when the state had several union ministers, Kerala did not receive significant benefits.
"In contrast, over the last 10 years, central projects worth lakhs of crores of rupees have come to Kerala. However, the state has failed to implement most of the projects sanctioned by the Centre," he said.
Chandrasekhar alleged that both the Congress and the CPI(M) were "more interested in political controversy and corruption than development."
He said that an objective analysis of the budget would reveal the benefits Kerala has received, adding that a BJP-led "double-engine" government was required to realise a true development vision for the state.
