Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday announced in the state assembly that Kerala had successfully eradicated extreme poverty, marking a major milestone for the southern state.
The announcement came during a special session of the assembly held to commemorate Kerala Piravi, the anniversary of the state’s formation. As the House convened for the special occasion, Vijayan declared that no family in Kerala now lived under conditions of extreme poverty.
“Today’s Kerala Piravi marks a place in history because we have succeeded in making Kerala the first Indian state without extreme poverty. This Legislative Assembly has witnessed many historic laws and policy declarations. The Assembly now meets at a moment that marks yet another milestone in the creation of a Nava Kerala. The eradication of extreme poverty was one of the key decisions taken at the very first cabinet meeting after the new ministry was sworn in in 2021. It was also the beginning of fulfilling one of the most important promises made to the people during the Legislative Assembly election,” CM Vijayan declared.
However, the declaration quickly turned contentious, with the opposition staging a dramatic walkout in protest over what they called a misleading claim.
UDF Alleges ‘Pure Fraud’
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) accused the government of manipulating data and called the declaration a “pure fraud.”
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan denounced the Chief Minister’s statement, saying it violated legislative procedures. “The CM’s statement via rule 300 was pure fraud and in contempt of House rules. So, we cannot join in that and are completely boycotting the session,” Satheesan said before leading his members out of the assembly.
Opposition legislators exited the House chanting slogans that branded the announcement “shameful” and “fraudulent.”
CM Dismisses Allegations, Defends Welfare Record
In a sharp rebuttal, Pinarayi Vijayan accused the opposition of hypocrisy. “We only say what we can implement. We have implemented what we had said. That is our reply to the opposition leader,” the Chief Minister asserted.
Referring to the UDF’s criticism, he added, “The UDF was referring to its own behaviour when they say fraud.”
