Kannur: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran on Saturday said the Congress party will no longer call for hartals in the state. He clarified that Congress is against expressing dissent through hartals.
In a press conference held in Kannur, Sudhakaran informed that the Congress will not call for a hartal as long as he is president of the KPCC.
He, however, warned that Kerala was about to witness a series of fiery protests and agitations against the Left government's budget announcements, which have adversely affected people's lives.
"Congress is observing a black day today (Saturday) to register the party's protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan administration's budget, which intends to loot the common man," he said.
In a Facebook post, Sudhakaran invited people from all sections of society to join the Congress in its agitation. He further mocked that all the welfare pension schemes announced by the Pinarayi government in the past must be laughing at the people now.
"This budget has once again proved Kerala has an incompetent government that only knows to steal from the people in the name of taxes. The general public, including the CPM, should decide if they want to see their hard-earned money being used to build a state-of-the-art cow shed for Pinarayi Vijayan, or a luxury elevator to the first floor of his residence, or to send him and his grandchildren on foreign tours," wrote Sudhakaran on Facebook.
He also said the party will not allow the chief minister to move ahead with the proposal made in the budget, come what may.
Sudhakaran's Facebook post
Pinarayi Vijayan has presented Kerala with a misery-filled budget that will trample over the common man who is already struggling to make ends meet after a global pandemic and a government-manufactured deluge.
Such an anti-people budget, intended to harm all sectors, is unprecedented in the political history of Kerala. Massive tax theft is what the chief minister has laid out in the budget. He has decided to squeeze the common man of his last penny and use it to live a luxurious life. The people have to bear the brunt of the CM's and his ministers' extravagant lifestyle.
The government has hiked taxes on everything, right from water, milk and rice to fuel, two-wheelers and cars. It's an open challenge to the average consumer.
It has to be suspected whether the hike in the price of liquor is to improve the business of CPM leaders who have become distributors of illicit drugs in the state. Rising the price of alcohol beyond a limit will lead to more people turning to intoxicants like ganja.
The government has ensured that one's dream of building a house or buying land will remain a dream by implementing huge hikes in taxes in the respective sectors as well.
All those welfare pension schemes announced by the Pinarayi government in the previous budgets must be laughing at the people now. This budget has once again proved Kerala has an incompetent government that only knows to steal from the people in the name of taxes.
The general public, including the CPM, should decide if they want to see their hard-earned money being used to build a state-of-the-art cow shed for Pinarayi Vijayan, or a luxury elevator to the first floor of his residence, or to send him and his grandchildren on foreign tours.
No matter what, Congress will not allow Pinarayi Vijayan to move ahead with the proposals made in this budget, which clearly wants to rob the people.
Kerala will witness a series of fiery protests against the Left government's budget announcements. The Indian National Congress is observing a black day today against the Pinarayi Vijayan administration which presented a budget to loot the common man. People from all sections of society are welcome to join us in this agitation.
