CPI(M) confirms PM SHRI pact, Cong criticises Vijayan govt’s move

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 24
The Kerala CPI(M) secretariat met here on Friday and decided to uphold the government's signing of the Prime Minister’s School for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, thereby confirming that the state will not withdraw from the initiative.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan. Notably, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan were absent.

The party also announced that a broader Left Democratic Front (LDF) meeting will be held after October 29 to address differences among allies.

This comes amid the voice of dissent from within the LDF, with the CPI opposing the move.

The PM Shri signing move has drawn sharp criticism from Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who alleged that the government had signed the agreement without consulting even the CPI, the second-largest party in the LDF.

Satheesan described the decision as unilateral and accused CPI(M) of acting as a “link” between the BJP and the LDF, pointing out that the agreement was signed soon after the Chief Minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The government is now implementing the RSS agenda. CPI(M) did not even consult its central leadership before proceeding. This proves the party values the BJP more than its own allies,” he said. Satheesan clarified that the Opposition is not against accepting Central funds but objected to the unconditional acceptance of the Centre’s terms.

He noted that Congress-ruled states signed the PM SHRI scheme only after ensuring there were no ideological strings attached.

“Here, the government signed without raising any objection. We oppose the blind surrender to the Centre’s conditions, not the funding itself,” he said, adding that there had been no discussion in the cabinet or within the LDF before signing the pact.

Highlighting the political ramifications, Satheesan said it was for the CPI to decide whether it should continue in the LDF after “enduring such humiliation”.

He also criticised the Chief Minister for yielding to political pressure, asserting, “It was only after meeting the Prime Minister that his stance changed. The Chief Minister seems to be afraid of the Centre,”.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF convenor and Lok Sabha member Adoor Prakash said the UDF has no issues at all to accommodate the CPI, if it decides to move out of the LDF. “The decision has to be theirs,” said Prakash.