Kerala CM hits out after being denied permission to meet PM

Kerala is the only State to have had the “privilege” of being snubbed not once but four times by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday.

Mr. Vijayan, who was denied permission to meet Mr. Modi on Friday, alleged that the Centre was not paying heed to the country’s federal structure.

Stating that the Centre’s aversion to Kerala’s demands was leading to the collapse of several industries in the State, the Chief Minister said, “When we needed to see the PM and submit our requests, we were not allowed to do so.”

Addressing a press conference in the national capital to mark two years of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, Mr. Vijayan regretted that the State had not got the necessary support from the Union government. An all-party delegation from Kerala had on Friday sought permission to meet Mr. Modi.

“From the quota allotted to the State, we are not able to provide ration to everyone. We tried to meet Prime Minister Modi twice, but each time we were told to meet the concerned minister (Ramvilas Paswan),” Mr. Vijayan said.

He said such “indifference” cannot be ignored. “It is the first time in the history of our State that such an incident has happened. This is a violation of Constitutional values,” he added.

Constitution weakened

Hitting out at the Centre, Mr. Vijayan said that unlike past governments, the Narendra Modi government is not even paying lip service to the federal institutions enshrined in the Constitution.

“Every government before this had kept in mind the federal values. I am not saying they all implemented it. But they did not ignore it completely till now,” he said.

When asked if Kerala alone faces this discrimination, the Chief Minister quipped, “I think it is a privilege offered only to Kerala.”

Mr. Vijayan, however, said he had spoken to Mr. Modi regarding an airport in Kannur during the Niti Ayog governing council meeting last week.

He said he also had a satisfactory meeting on the same issue with Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.