Kerala govt to be blamed for ASHA workers' situation, not Centre: BJP

The Kerala unit of the BJP on Tuesday backed the ongoing protest by a section of ASHA workers by holding a march by the party's women's wing Mahila Morcha to the Secretariat here and claimed that the Centre was not responsible for the situation.

Expressing solidarity with the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, who have been agitating outside the Secretariat for the last 23 days demanding a hike in their honorarium and post-retirement benefits, BJP state president K Surendran said the Centre is being unnecessarily blamed by the Kerala government.

"It is the state government's failure and not the Centre's," he contended.

Surendran said the union government has not held back any funds meant for Kerala and ASHA workers.

He said that he fully supports the ASHA workers demand to hike their honorarium and termed their protest as justified.

Along with him, senior BJP leaders Shobha Surendran and P K Krishnadas were also present outside the Secretariat expressing solidarity with the protestors.

Besides the BJP leaders, Congress-led UDF leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and P K Kunhalikutty, also visited the protestors and spoke out against the state government stand, allegedly ignoring the ASHA workers' demands.

Earlier in the day, the UDF also raised the issue of the ASHA workers' demands in the state Assembly and protested in the House for not discussing the matter. Due to the opposition protest, the Speaker rushed through the Assembly business and adjourned the House for the day.