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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday clarified that no memorandums were submitted during his recent meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, describing it as simply a “breakfast meeting”.
Vijayan mentioned that several issues concerning Kerala were discussed (X)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday clarified that no memorandums were submitted during his recent meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, describing it as simply a “breakfast meeting”.
Speaking during the discussion on demands for grants in the Assembly, Vijayan mentioned that several issues concerning Kerala were discussed, some of which the Finance Minister acknowledged as serious, and termed the meeting as “very friendly.” The CM further said Governor Rajendra Arlekar had initially invited him to a banquet for MPs from the state in New Delhi, but he had conveyed to the latter his inability to attend.
“We were on the same flight to Delhi when the Governor once again invited me to attend the banquet,” he said.
Coincidentally, I was in Delhi for the party’s Polit Bureau meeting, so I attended the event and informed the Governor that Nirmala Sitharaman would be attending a breakfast meeting the following day, he added.
“Governor expressed his desire to join as well… I did not attend the meeting based on any arrangement made by the Governor,” the Chief Minister clarified.
“Politics does not simply dissolve when personalities with differing ideologies meet.” Earlier, in his speech, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala questioned the secrecy surrounding Vijayan’s meeting with Sitharaman, alleging that the discussion was mediated by the Governor and had significant political implications.
“The people of Kerala deserve to know what was discussed in the “unofficial” meeting,” he said, accusing the CPI(M) of “forging” a secret alliance with the RSS and BJP.
However, defending the CPI(M)’s stance, Vijayan justified labelling the central government as “fascist,” emphasising that the right to live is paramount in a democratic set-up.
“There was a time in India when all fundamental rights were taken away—that was during the Emergency,” he recalled.
The CM added that the CPI(M) had described it as an excessive use of power adding that their choice of words is based on careful judgment.
Vijayan, who is also a Polit Bureau member of CPI(M), alleged that it was Congress-led UDF that forged ties with RSS in the elections.
“We have not taken such a political stance ever,” he said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
- Location :
Thiruvananthapuram, India, India
