Vijayan government worse than pick-pockets, alleges Ker Opposition Leader

PTI, Feb 14, 2023, 1:30 PM IST

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Tuesday criticised the Left government’s decision to levy cess on fuel and declared that the opposition Congress-led UDF will continue its protest till all the ”anti-people recommendations” in the State budget are withdrawn.

Addressing the day and night protest organised by the UDF here, Satheesan said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government is ‘tearing the pockets’ of common man in Kerala and is running away from people due to fear.

The state-wide protest organised in front of the secretariat here and district collectorates across the state since last evening against the anti-people recommendations in the Kerala budget concluded on Tuesday. In a scathing attack against Chief Minister Vijayan, the opposition leader said the government is giving the social security pension with one hand and tearing the pockets of the common man with the other. ”We cannot even call it pick-pocketing. The government is tearing the pockets…Now people are seeing the distorted face of the Kerala government. A face of a looting government,” Satheesan said.

Continuing his tirade against the Chief Minister, Satheesan alleged Vijayan is scared of people, did not want to see anyone on the road when he travels and using the police to scare public.

”Earlier, he was scared of seeing black, was scared of black masks, black churidars and everything black. Even crows at that time were scared to fly as they are black. Now, he is scared of white (a reference to white khadi dress of Congress workers) and is using the police to forcefully remove anyone who is wearing a white dress,” Satheesan alleged.

The opposition leader also warned the police to restrain themselves and not to have a ‘more loyal than king’ attitude. He said if the police continued their high-handedness against the Congress workers, especially women, the UDF will change their mode of protest. ”We will react as brothers react when their sisters are handled inappropriately,” Satheesan said among loud cheers.

He accused Vijayan of misusing public funds by having 40 vehicles in his convoy and deploying 1,000 policemen for his security in every place he visits. ”Why are you so scared? If you are scared, then do not get out. Sit at your office or at Cliff House. You cannot detain people on the roads for your travel. This is not Stalin’s Russia but a democratic Kerala,” Satheesan said.

He alleged that the Vijayan government has been using preventive detention against Congress cadres. ”The Supreme Court has clarified that preventive detention is illegal. Still the Kerala government is doing it,” the opposition leader said.

He said the UDF will continue its protest, gathering public support, till all the anti-people recommendations in the state budget are withdrawn.