Kerala CM leads 'Satyagraha' protest against Centre
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday led a 'Satyagraha' protest here against the BJP-led union government, accusing it of "political vengeance" and "bias" in denying the state its rightful financial allocations.
The day-long protest, which commenced at the Martyrs' Memorial in Palayam in the heart of the city in the morning, saw the participation of cabinet ministers, ruling MLAs, senior leaders and other people's representatives.
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During his inaugural address, Vijayan charged the Centre with "deliberately creating obstacles" to stall the state's progress it has achieved in various sectors all these years.
"The Centre is trying to snatch away the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Kerala, which should not happen in a democratic country," he said.
He said the LDF government was forced to launch such a protest to protect the rights of its people in such an unprecedented situation.
He urged everyone to stand united to ensure that Kerala received its due share.
Vijayan also took aim at the opposition Congress-led UDF, accusing them of indirectly supporting the BJP and the saffron party-led union government in the matter.
The satyagraha is scheduled to be concluded in the evening.
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Karnataka leadership: Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar will be called for talks if needed, says Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar would be called to New Delhi for discussions whenever necessary, amid an ongoing "power tussle" within the ruling Congress in Karnataka.
Kharge said, "Whenever necessary, the party would call them," in response to a question from reporters on when the CM and Deputy CM would be summoned to Delhi for talks.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
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The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the government’s formation in 2023.
Siddaramaiah, who recently became the longest-serving chief minister of the state, surpassing the record held by Devaraj Urs, has expressed confidence that he will complete the full five-year term. However, he has maintained that the final decision rests with the Congress high command.
Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, on Sunday said his hard work had brought him this far in politics and that he was confident about the Congress party’s future decision regarding him.
His remarks are being seen as an assertion of his chief ministerial ambitions.
