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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday accused the BJP-led Centre of subjecting the state to "financial discrimination" and alleged that arbitrary cuts in grants and borrowing limits were aimed at "economically strangulating" it. The Centre is trying to "snatch away" the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Kerala, a move that has no place in a democratic country, he claimed. The CM was speaking while leading a day-long Satyagraha protest here against the union government, accusing it of "political vengeance" and "bias" in denying the state its rightful financial allocations. Addressing the gathering, he said the state was being forced into an extraordinary struggle to protect its constitutionally guaranteed rights. Vijayan urged everyone to stand united to ensure that Kerala received its due share. "Our state is in the midst of a struggle. This is a struggle for the survival of this land and its people. Believing that all authority rests in their hands, the rulers at t
Opposition Congress on Sunday accused the CPI(M)-led state government of carrying out political activities by "misusing" money from the state exchequer under the pretext of seeking public opinion on development issues. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that the government was spending crores of rupees on the propaganda using party volunteers keeping an eye on the upcoming assembly polls. He warned the government of legal and political action if the said exercise was not withdrawn. "The Kerala government is carrying out election-related activities by spending crores of rupees under the pretext of seeking public opinion on development issues," Satheesan alleged. By spending money from the state exchequer, party members are being made volunteers and sent for a door-to-door campaign with pamphlets highlighting the government's "achievements," he further alleged. "We have no objection to them carrying out election activities using their party machinery. But
CPI(M) leader A K Balan on Saturday said if the Congress-led UDF comes to power in Kerala with the backing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, it will result in the "destruction of the state". Balan, at a press conference held here, said that he will keep repeating this warning again and again. The CPI(M) also held up a copy of the 'Quran' and said it talks about 'munafiks' who are "fake believers". "I am not that. I am a believer and a communist who is loyal to the workers," he said and added that if he is sent to jail for defamation over his remarks about the Jamaat-e-Islami, the first thing he would do is finish reading the Quran. He was speaking to reporters in the wake of a legal notice sent to him by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the vehement criticism against him by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan over the CPI(M) veteran's remarks linking the UDF with the religious organisation. Satheesan had termed Balan's remarks as "dangerous and communal". The Jamaat-e-Islami, t
Students trudging to school burdened with a heavy backpack and the presence of 'backbenchers', often associated with children who don't engage in studies, were accepted scenarios in the education sector, but maybe not for long in Kerala. A draft report proposing a reduction in weight of school bags and creating classrooms without 'backbenchers' has been approved by the State Curriculum Steering Committee, General Education Minister V Sivankutty has said in a statement. According to him, the aim behind the proposals is to ensure the physical and mental happiness of children by reducing the weight of the bags they carry to school and to create a learning environment without 'backbenchers' as part of "democratisation" of classrooms. The minister further said that the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) was tasked to study these proposals in detail and the draft report prepared by it has been approved by the committee. Sivankutty, in the statement, said it has be
The Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority (KBADA) has said the Kerala governor has promised a thorough review of the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, following concerns raised over its impact on Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities in Kasaragod district. A KBADA delegation met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to him seeking the stalling and reconsideration of the Bill, which mandates Malayalam as the first language from Classes 1 to 10 in all government and private Kannada-medium schools in the district. "The bill proposed by the Kerala government is wholly unconstitutional and is against the interests of the large number of Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities residing in Kasaragod district of Kerala," the KBADA said in a press release. It pointed out that a similar bill was rejected by the president in 2017 and noted that the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has repeatedly advised Kerala to protect the interests of ...
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by US forces was a "threat" to the survival of democratic nations in the world and showed the "arrogance and audacity of American imperialism". Vijayan referred to the recent capture of Maduro and his wife by US forces while speaking after inaugurating the 4th edition of the Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival (KILBF) here. The CM said it was something "unheard of" in the modern world and showed the arrogance and audacity of American imperialism, which was a challenge to all the nations around the globe. He said that such actions by the US will not end with what happened in Venezuela as American President Donald Trump has "arrogantly" announced that similar steps will take place against Cuba and Greenland as well. "This is a new phase of American imperialism where countries not aligning with the interests of the US are being targeted for destruction," he .
The Kerala government has decided to entrust paddy procurement to cooperative societies, shifting to a farmer-centric, two-tier system aimed at ensuring quicker payments and reducing delays. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Monday. The government said timely procurement would prevent crop damage and help farmers receive payments at the time of purchase itself. The new model will be implemented through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies and will come into force from the upcoming season. Under the system, primary cooperative societies that are ready for procurement will purchase paddy directly from farmers. The government said the move would avoid dependence on Paddy Receipt Sheet (PRS)-based loans and ensure that farmers are paid immediately after procurement. At the district or taluk level, nodal cooperative societies will be formed with shareholding ...
A court here on Saturday sentenced former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju and a court official to imprisonment for tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug seizure case. Raju, a serving MLA of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and an LDF ally, was convicted by the Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate Ruby Ismail in connection with tampering with evidence related to the seizure of 61.5 grams of hashish from an Australian national at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in 1990. The court also convicted K S Jose, a former clerk of a court in Thiruvananthapuram, in the case. Both were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 193 (giving false evidence), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 465 (forgery) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Raju was sentenced to six months' imprisonment under Section 120B, three .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lashed out at rival Kerala blocs--the LDF and the UDF for playing a "fixed match" in the state and said it was going to come to an end post the BJP's maiden win in the city civic body. Th saffron party emerging victorious in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation was an "epoch-making" victory, he said in a letter to city Mayor V V Rajesh. He lauded Rajesh and the BJP leaders for the party coming to power in the state capital in the recently held local body elections. In the letter dated December 30, the PM said history was made in Thiruvananthapuram after the mayor and Deputy Mayor G S Asha Nath took oath. He said the party's success in Thiruvananthapuram was an indication that the people of Kerala, especially youngsters and women, were ready for a new dawn. According to him, the BJP-led NDA is emerging as the people's option, rooted in nationalism without exclusion, development without corruption and governance without appeasement. "The fixed match o
A 32-year-old woman who was allegedly hacked by her husband earlier this week died at the Medical College Hospital here on Sunday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Muneera M K of Pandisala Road, Farook. According to police, the incident occurred on December 24 at around 9.40 am, when Muneera's husband Abdul Jabbaar allegedly attacked her with a dagger after she refused his demand for money. She sustained severe injuries to her head and neck. Muneera was immediately rushed to the hospital and had been undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning, a police officer said. Jabbaar was arrested soon after the incident. Police said he is allegedly a drug abuser and had attacked Muneera earlier as well. A case of attempt to murder was registered against Jabbaar on December 24. Following Muneera's death, the charge will be altered to murder, police said. The body will be handed over to relatives after .
Two migrant workers were killed and 13 others injured when a truck carrying a concrete mixer overturned at Mutharikkulam near Sreekandapuram in this north Kerala district on Sunday, police said. The deceased were identified as Vishwajith Das (30) and Krishna (35), natives of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. They were among a group of workers returning to their accommodation in Sreekandapuram after completing concreting work at a house in Kunnathur. The accident occurred as the vehicle was descending the Mutharikkulam hill when the driver allegedly lost control of the truck. The truck hit an electric post and overturned, landing upside down, police said. Both Das and Krishna were trapped under the truck and died on the spot. The injured, including the driver and 12 other workers, have been admitted to hospitals in Kannur and Taliparamba, police said. Police have launched a probe after registering a case, officials said.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday advised Kerala Chief Minister not to interfere in Karnataka's affairs with regard to an anti-encroachment drive in North Bengaluru. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday strongly criticised the reported demolition of Muslim residential areas in Karnataka's capital, calling the action shocking and painful. In a Facebook post, Vijayan referred to the reported bulldozing of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout, where Muslim families had been living for many years. It is all a political statement. Without knowing the facts, Pinarayi should not interfere in our state's affairs. These are all political gimmicks at the time of the elections, Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told reporters here. He said it was unfortunate that senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan commented on the matter without knowing the facts of the issues in Bengaluru. Some people had encroached. It's a waste dump site. It was a quarry pi
A Congress leader was taken into custody on Saturday for allegedly sharing an AI-generated photograph depicting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with Unnikrishnan Potty, an accused in the Sabarimala gold case, police said. Chevayoor police took N Subarahmanian of Karuvattoor, Political Affairs Committee member of the state unit of Congress, into custody after registering a case against him. He was booked for sharing a post on a social media platform carrying a photograph depicting the Chief Minister and Potty together, with a caption questioning the reason for their alleged close relationship. As part of the probe, a police team reached Subarahmanian's house on Saturday morning to record his statement. Later, it was decided to take him to the police station for detailed interrogation, officials said. CPI(M) has claimed that the picture circulating on social media is AI-generated. Before being taken to the police station, Subarahmanian told reporters that the picture he shared
BJP leader V V Rajesh was elected mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Friday after the saffron party won 50 of the 101 wards, marking its first-ever victory in a municipal corporation in Kerala. In the mayoral election on Friday, Rajesh secured 51 votes, including the support of an Independent councillor. P Sivaji of the LDF received 29 votes, while UDF candidate K S Sabarinathan secured 19 votes, of which two were later declared invalid. Senior BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, were present at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office to witness Rajesh being elected mayor of the state capital. Former Union minister V Muraleedharan and former BJP state president K Surendran were also present. Rajesh later took the oath as the mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The BJP wrested control of the Corporation after nearly four decades of LDF rule. In Kollam Corporation, UDF's A K Hafeez was elected mayor, while in Kochi Corporation, UDF counc