News Analysis India

Tag: Pinarayi Vijayan

  • Alappuzha: LS Polls 2024: KC Venugopal ups stakes to wrest CPM seat, says Pinarayi Vijayan speaks Modi lingo

    As one enters Alappuzha, the citadel of the Communists in Kerala and the land of the historic Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and the martyrs column, huge hoardings of KC Venugopal, the influential AICC general secretary (organisation) and a close associate of Rahul Gandhi, are all over. Venugopal is fighting to wrest the CPM seat, the only Lok Sabha constituency that stood by the Left in 2019 when the Congress-led UDF swept 19 of the 20 seats from the state. If that explains the Left’s political resilience here, Venugopal’s entry has upped the stakes for both sides.”This is an election to save Indian democracy and to save our Constitution,” Venugopal said when ET caught up with him at Aryad on the outskirts of the town. “The Congress is leading that fight, along with the INDIA alliance parties, against the Modi government. Every single seat, every single vote counts. I am sure the people of Alappuzha will stand by the Congress in this historic battle”.Venugopal has trained expertise in taking the fight to the Left strongholds; he cut his teeth in the Congress student’s wing in his birthplace of Payyanur in Kannur, another Communist base. As he progressed to the party leadership, the Congress politically relocated Venugopal to Alappuzha where he won three consecutive assembly polls from 1996 and two Lok Sabha polls in 2009 and 2014. CPM reclaimed the seat in 2019 — when Venugopal took a break from electoral contest due to organisational preoccupation with the leadership placing him in the RS from Rajasthan. Venugopal is now back for the retrieval act. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesAs Venugopal reached a street corner meeting venue, an enthusiastic crowd greeted him. “If anyone examines the political life of a Congress worker called KC Venugopal, he will find its foundation was laid when the people of Alappuzha elected me as their MLA way back in 1996. You have made me MLA and MP many times. Whatever I am today, all credit goes to you people. As my party has sent me here to fight this all-important election, I once again place my politics and my future in your hands,” Venugopal tells the responsive crowd.

    He is pitted against a local CPM leader and sitting MP AM Arif, who won the seat in 2019 by a slender margin of 10,474 votes, and senior BJP leader Shobha Surendran, who has a track-record of lifting the BJP vote percentage wherever she contested, albeit losing the elections. But whose vote, in addition to that of the BJP here, she will cut into this time is keeping both Congress and the Left sides guessing.

    As Venugopal moved forward through the crowds, he told ET about his twin concerns and his twin targets. “Can you imagine the way the PM is speaking at his rallies these days? Such blatant communal talk! Shocking. The PM has become desperate after the first phase of election. And here in Kerala, look at the way the CM (and CPI-M leader) Pinarayi Vijayan is speaking, the way he has targeted Rahul Ji. Modi and Pinarayi speak the same language in this election”. CPM’s sitting MP, Arif, 59, told ET that he is fighting to retain his party’s Lok Sabha seat. “I have placed before the people the details of the development works I have done, including the steps to modernise and beautify Alappuzha as a throbbing tourism destination.”

  • Communist party contributed minimally in freedom struggle, today they’re trying to reap its benefits: Shashi Tharoor – The Economic Times Video

    Thiruvananthapuram: On Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “when the CAA bill was brought into parliament, I had opposed its introduction and I spoke in the debate denouncing the bill explaining why it’s unconstitutional and a violation of Article 14. The Constitution makes that explicitly clear that your caste, religion, language, place of birth, whatever is irrelevant to your citizenship, you’re on the same equal plane as every other citizen. The communist party contributed minimally in the freedom struggle, and today they’re trying to reap its benefits and score political points in the most disgracefully dishonest way.”

  • ‘Muslims Coined Term Bharat Mata Ki Jai’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Challenges RSS Amid CAA Row |

    MALAPPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stirred a debate by claiming that the iconic nationalistic slogans ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Hind’ were initially coined by Muslims. Speaking at a rally in the Muslim-majority Malappuram district on Monday, Vijayan emphasized the significant role of Muslims in India’s history and independence movement.

    Azimullah Khan: The Originator Of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’

    Vijayan highlighted historical figures to support his claim, citing Azimullah Khan as the individual behind ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Kerala CM’s assertion challenges the mainstream narrative surrounding the origins of the slogan, prompting reflection on the diversity of contributions to India’s nationalist ethos.

    Abid Hasan And The ‘Jai Hind’ Slogan

    In a similar vein, Vijayan credited Abid Hasan, an old diplomat, with the creation of the ‘Jai Hind’ slogan. By acknowledging Hasan’s role, the CM underscored the multicultural fabric of India’s nationalist fervour, transcending religious boundaries.

    Role Of Muslims In India’s Freedom Movement

    The CM further emphasized the integral role played by Muslims in India’s struggle for independence. Drawing attention to their contributions, CM Vijayan aimed to foster inclusivity and recognition of diverse narratives within the national discourse.

    Kerala CM Slams CAA

    Transitioning to contemporary politics, Vijayan criticized the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging discriminatory intent against Muslims. He accused the RSS-led BJP government of marginalizing Muslims through the CAA, sparking resistance from Kerala’s politically aware populace.

    Amidst his criticism, CM Vijayan lambasted the opposition Congress party for purportedly lacking sincerity in opposing the CAA. He cited instances where Congress leaders were absent during protests, contrasting it with the active involvement of Left leaders.

    CM Vijayan didn’t shy away from criticizing the central government and its alleged tacit approval of violence against anti-CAA protestors. He drew parallels between RSS ideology and fascist doctrines, challenging the foundations of the Sangh Parivar’s political ethos.

  • Pinarayi Vijayan: Attempts are being made to turn India into a religious nation: Kerala CM

    Malappuram (Kerala): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday expressed concern over the alleged attempts being made to turn India into a religious nation, and accused those in power at the Centre of trying to blur the lines between religious institutions and the state.

    Without mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said nowadays those who hold constitutional positions are turning into priests during religious ceremonies. The Left veteran was apparently referring to the recent consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in which Modi was the ‘yajman (master of a yajna)’.

    “Attempts are being made to turn India into a religious nation… This evokes great concern,” Vijayan said, speaking during the valedictory session of the 10th Mujahid State Conference at Karipur in this northern district. He labelled as “pathetic” the attempts by certain leaders “even in Kerala” to justify such events. In present India, those who are in power are attempting to blur the lines between religion and the state, Vijayan further said. The chief minister also accused the Centre of sabotaging projects meant for minority communities.

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

  • Will consider Kerala govt proposal for World Peace Conference: Nobel Peace Centre

    By PTI

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Norway-based Nobel Peace Center, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize, on Wednesday said it will seriously consider the Kerala government’s proposal for convening a World Peace Conference.

    In a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is on a Europe tour with some of his cabinet colleagues, Nobel Peace Center Executive Director Kjersti Fløgstad said the state government’s proposal for such a conference would be given serious thought, according to a statement issued by the CMO.

    The statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Vijayan, in the meeting, expressed interest in organising such a conference in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Centre.

    The Kerala government in its previous budget had announced that a World Peace Conference would be organized.

    In the meeting, Fløgstad said it was gratifying to see such a proposal from a state government and once the same is received through official channels, discussions would be held on it, the statement quoted him as saying.

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Norway-based Nobel Peace Center, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize, on Wednesday said it will seriously consider the Kerala government’s proposal for convening a World Peace Conference.

    In a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is on a Europe tour with some of his cabinet colleagues, Nobel Peace Center Executive Director Kjersti Fløgstad said the state government’s proposal for such a conference would be given serious thought, according to a statement issued by the CMO.

    The statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Vijayan, in the meeting, expressed interest in organising such a conference in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Centre.

    The Kerala government in its previous budget had announced that a World Peace Conference would be organized.

    In the meeting, Fløgstad said it was gratifying to see such a proposal from a state government and once the same is received through official channels, discussions would be held on it, the statement quoted him as saying.

  • No personal or political agenda behind allegations against CM, claims Swapna Suresh

    By PTI

    PALAKKAD (Kerala): Swapna Suresh, an accused in the sensational gold smuggling in diplomatic bags case that rocked Kerala before the 2021 assembly polls, on Wednesday said her allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members and some top bureaucrats were not made due to some personal or political agenda.

    She claimed that she only disclosed before the court, in her statement under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code, the people allegedly involved in the cases against her and their “degrees of involvement”.

    Suresh said that she gave the 164 statement as there were threats to her life and if something happened to her or her family members, she may not have the courage to come forward and speak about the case.

    “Therefore, to be on the safe side I deposed all the statements before the court with the facts,” she said and added that she has not finished what she has to say about the cases.

    “There is a lot more for me to say”, she added. Suresh was speaking to reporters at Palakkad a day after the Chief Minister dismissed her claims/allegations as “baseless”.

    Strongly reacting to the charges, the CM, in a statement, said, “unsubstantiated allegations have been made through the media from some quarters for narrow political reasons” and this was “part of some political agenda”.

    “Such an agenda was rejected by the people earlier. After a break, the old things are repeated by the accused in the case. There is not even a shred of fact in it”, Vijayan said.

    He said if those raising such allegations think that the will of his government and its political leadership can be shattered by spreading lies again, it will not succeed. The CPI(M) and the party-led LDF had also issued statements strongly defending Vijayan.

    The Left claimed there was a “political conspiracy” to tarnish the image of the Vijayan-led government and it was evident from Suresh’s allegations.

    LDF convener E P Jayarajan told media that there was “well-planned conspiracy” behind the “baseless allegations” against the CM and the state government should investigate the matter and find out who all were behind it.

    He alleged that Suresh was working in an organisation controlled by the RSS and therefore, she was under their control.

    Jayarajan also said the CM is neither required to respond to such “dirty” allegations nor resign from his office.

    He reiterated that there should be a probe to ascertain who were behind the allegations made against the CM.

    When told about the LDF convener’s demand for an investigation into who were behind the allegations, Suresh asked why no inquiry was carried out when terror charges were imposed on her and she was put behind bars for 16 months.

    She alleged that no investigation was carried out into the terror allegations against her as those behind it were sure she would never come out of jail.

    She further alleged that while in jail she was “tortured and mentally harassed” by the senior jail officers leading to her suffering from a heart attack, which was termed by them as a drama, and later she repeatedly suffered from fits.

    Suresh said as a result of the mental torture she underwent, she is now suffering from several ailments.

    She said what she has disclosed now was not meant to defame anyone or remove anyone from the post of CM nor was it a publicity stunt to create an image for herself.

    “I do not believe in politics. I actually do not care who is the CM now or then. I do not care who is going to rule the state. I also do not believe statements which claim what I said is part of a conspiracy, as I do not have any political or personal agenda.

    “I was in jail for 16 months. My kids suffered. I lost my job. They were exploiting and manipulating me. Now I just want to live and raise my kids. Please allow me to do that. Other than that I have no agenda,” she said.

    On being asked whether she spoke to P C George or gave anything to him in writing, Suresh said what she would like to highlight was that “no one should view her 164 statement as an opportunity and use it”.

    “That is my humble request. Do not use this as an opportunity for somebody else’s income or somebody else’s weapon. For God’s sake please do not use it like that,” she said.

    Suresh said she met a lot of people after her earlier interviews and therefore, “let’s not talk about P C George”. “Let’s not give importance to unwanted people,” she added.

    She further said she has no connection with Saritha S Nair, an accused in the solar panel scam, and claimed that the latter has been repeatedly calling her mother for help ever since Suresh got out of jail.

    Meanwhile, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said they will be holding protests this evening as part of their ‘black day’ campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

    KPCC general secretary T U Radhakrishnan said that Congress workers across the state would be holding black flags and chanting slogans demanding Vijayan’s resignation in the wake of the allegations against him in connection with the gold smuggling case.

    Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said the truth should come out and that it cannot be hidden away.

    Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, had on Tuesday said that a court-monitored investigation should be carried out in view of the latest revelation of Suresh.

    After giving a statement before the Magistrate on Monday, Suresh had said there was a threat to her life and therefore, she was going to disclose all the facts related to the case before the court.

    She was released from jail in November last year, 16 months after her arrest in the sensational gold smuggling case.

    Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with another accused Sandeep Nair from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020.

    The NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Customs conducted separate probes into the racket that was busted with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.

    Several people, including M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and another ex-employee of the UAE Consulate here, Sarith P S, were arrested in connection with the case.

  • Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan calls for a national alliance of secular regional parties sans Congress to fight BJP

    By Express News Service

    KOCHI: Making clear the CPM’s stance on emerging national politics, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the Congress can’t be an alternative to the BJP at the centre, and made a clarion call for forging a national alliance of secular, like-minded regional parties across the country to fight the saffron party.

    “Congress, which is claiming to be a secular party, is adopting a communal appeasement policy.  Congress’s have a similar stance on the economic policies adopted by the BJP at the centre. Such a Congress can’t become an alternative to the BJP,” Pinarayi said, inaugurating the CPM Ernakulam district conference at Kalamassery.

    Stating that the country can’t afford to have another term by the BJP at the centre, Pinarayi said only those parties which adopt an uncompromising stance against communal polarisation and Hindutva forces can emerge as an alternative to the BJP.  “If you want to protect the secular fabric of the country we should be able to take an uncompromising stand on communalism. But, Congress has not been able to do that for the last several years. Due to the policies adopted by the party, we are seeing Congress leaders joining one after the other to the BJP camp. There are MLAs, MPs and former ministers leaving the Congress party to join the BJP,” he said.

    Pinarayi, a senior CPM politburo member, claimed that at the recent Congress rally in Jaipur Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a speech putting forward an idea of ‘Hindu government’ at the centre’. “This is in continuation of the Congress’s soft Hindutva approach,” he said.

    Pinarayi’s speech assumes significance in the wake of the statement by Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister  Mamata Banerjee’s recent statement that it would be easy to defeat the BJP if all the regional parties come together. After meeting NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on December 1 she also said there’s “no UPA”, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.

    Explaining that Congress has lost its trust with the people due to its soft-Hindutva stance, Pinarayi pointed out that in the Bihar election Congress failed miserably in all the seats allotted by the Mahagathbandhan alliance. “What it shows is that the people have lost its trust in the Congress,” he said.

    At the national level, BJP should be removed from power, and a secular front should emerge as an alternative, he said. “To achieve this objective, all the secular parties and forces should come together. This is the important responsibility put in our (CPM) hands by national politics. Our state (Kerala) has a huge contribution to make in this regard,” the Chief Minister said.

    The three-day CPM Ernakulam district conference will conclude on Thursday.

  • Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan announces doorstep assistance scheme for aged, disabled and destitute persons

    By PTI

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday announced a ‘doorstep assistance’ scheme under which senior citizens unable to go out due to their age, those bedridden as well as destitute and disabled persons would be provided various services like social security pension and emergency medicines at their place of residence.

    To start with, a lifetime certificate, preparation of an application for assistance from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, social security pension, delivery of emergency medicines and palliative care, would be the services provided under the scheme, the CM said and added that other services would be added subsequently.

    The first phase of the scheme, which would commence from September, will be implemented in areas under 50 local bodies and based on the government’s experience it would be extended to the entire state in December, he said in a release.

    Explaining how the scheme would be implemented, the release said that in all Local Self Government Institutions, a committee consisting of an accredited social health activist (ASHA), a Kudumbasree representative and volunteers under the chairmanship of the Ward member will carry out the work of providing the services.

    The Asha workers will have the primary responsibility of contacting those in need of service, the release said, adding that those in need of the service can contact the committee members by phone.

    “For this, a card containing the phone numbers of the committee members will be issued,” it said.

    Akshaya centres and volunteers will be available to assist the Asha workers.

    The LSGIs would be responsible for locating the volunteers by using a transparent methodology, the CM said and he directed the Health department to ensure that the medicines required by each person are available locally.

    He also said that the progress of the door-to-door service activities should be regularly reviewed at the district-level and at the level of the LSGIs and added that the District Collector and the District Planning Committee will have a crucial role to play in the implementation and monitoring of the scheme.

  • CPM decides to cap age ceiling for Central Committee members age at 75 

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an obvious move to make the party more appealing to younger generations and to infuse energy into it, the CPM has decided to set 75 as the age-cap for its Central Committee members. Currently, it is 80.

    The decision comes in the run-up to the 23rd Party Congress slated to be held next April in Kannur. An informal decision has however been made to exempt 76-year-old Pinarayi Vijayan, taking into account his official position.

    “For those in the Central Committee and the Politburo, 75 years would be the age limit. State committees normally have it lower. We have left it to the state committees to decide,” said CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday.

    He said a decision on whether to give exemption to Pinarayi will be taken later. Pinarayi and 83-year-old S Ramachandran Pillai are the two Kerala leaders who have crossed the new age limit. Suggestions have also come in to set an age cap of 70 for state committee members.

    Sources said the Central Committee’s decision was unanimous.

    “The CC took the decision now so that the state conferences can take a leaf out of it and ensure more young blood into the party. In line with the CC decision, the state committees can ensure more representation for the youth in the party committees. As far as Pinarayi is concerned, it goes without saying that he would be given exemption,” said a Central Committee member from the state.

    Briefing the media on the decisions of the three-day meet in Delhi, Yechury admitted that there was criticism in the CC against keeping former health minister K K Shailaja away from the second Pinarayi cabinet. Yechury however justified the decision to keep Shailaja away. The people have accepted the Left policy to bring in changes, and that’s why the Left retained power, he pointed out.

    “The issue came up not only about Shailaja but also about dropping those who contested twice. But it was a policy decision. No exceptions could be made. Making any exception means that the policy cannot be implemented. Senior leaders like the former finance minister (Thomas Isaac) and former PWD minister (G Sudhakaran) did not contest because of the policy. But the result shows people accepted the policy, and that’s part of the dynamic changes happening in society. People expect changes to happen. Newer generations are coming forward to take the mantle. The policy was well received by the people,” said Yechury. 

    At the Central Committee meet, leaders from outside the state criticised dropping Shailaja from the cabinet. However, Kerala leaders defended the same by pointing out that stringent norms were in place this time around.

    The Central Committee appreciated the Kerala party unit for getting continuity in power. The Left was able to get continuity for the excellent manner in which the government handled the floods, pandemic and other calamities, observed the committee. “The people’s verdict is a reflection of the Left government keeping the state’s secular democratic values intact,” Yechury said.

    The party leadership has given necessary directives to further streamline the government’s functioning.

    ‘Party will introspect on Bengal performance’

    The CPM leadership also deliberated on the major setback the party faced in West Bengal. The party will introspect on its performance in Bengal, said the leadership. Terming the results disastrous, Yechury said the Bengal party unit will critically analyze the results.

    Branch meets likely in September

    Ahead of the 23rd Party Congress next year, the party is likely to begin branch conferences this September. A final decision on the schedule will be taken at the party-state committee scheduled to meet early next week. 

  • Kerala govt moves SC to withdraw 2015 House ruckus case involving minister Sivankutty, others

    By Express News Service
    KOCHI: The Kerala government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court seeking to withdraw the criminal case against Education Minister V Sivankutty, former higher education minister KT Jaleel, and four LDF leaders.

    The case pertains to the ruckus that took place in Kerala Assembly during the budget session in 2015 when opposition LDF MLAs broke chairs, snapped mikes, and climbed atop tables protesting against then finance minister KM Mani. Former MLAs EP Jayarajan, K Ajith, C K Sadasivan, and K Kunjammed are the other accused persons in the case.

    The government approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of a Single Judge of the Kerala High Court dismissing the petition to end the case. As per the prosecution case, the accused persons, who were opposition MLAs at that time, disrupted the budget presentation and climbed on to the Speaker’s dais, damaged articles like the Speaker’s chair, computer, mike, and emergency lamp to stop late KM Mani from presenting the budget. The ruckus caused a loss of Rs 2,20,093 to the state exchequer.

    ALSO READ | Putting an end to dowry menace in Kerala society

    In the SLP, the state government argued that the accused persons are entitled to the protection of legislative privileges of their acts committed on the floor of the house. The state also contended that the Single Judge had failed to appreciate that the incident happened on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during the budget session as a part of the protest by opposition members of the legislative assembly against the budget presentation. 

    In such circumstances, it was not proper to dismiss an application filed by the prosecutor on the ground that the application submitted by the public prosecutor was not in good faith and not supported by any cogent reason. Besides no crime could have been registered without the previous sanction of the Speaker.

    The accused persons being in relation to their function to protest as members of the legislative assembly, the MLA’s who are accused in this FIR, are entitled to get protection under the Constitution. As the protest of the MLAs was in relation to their function as members of the Legislative Assembly, no criminal proceedings can be initiated, the state argued.