Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed Kerala as a “model for the entire country” during a fiery Assembly debate on budget demands Monday, spotlighting its achievements in development, welfare, and law enforcement.

“From law and order to communal harmony, Kerala holds a pioneering position,” he declared, crediting nine years of LDF governance for transforming a once-different landscape. “We act with an iron fist against communal subversive forces, regardless of their backing,” he added, contrasting this with past regimes.

Vijayan touted Kerala’s police as a national exemplar, citing a 99% conviction rate in drug cases—far above the national 78% average—and recent busts, including an interstate drug kingpin from Odisha and Tanzanian mafia links. “One politics fights smuggling; another ignores it,” he jabbed at the opposition UDF. He also highlighted the dismissal of 108 police officers over eight years and the Vigilance Bureau’s ‘Operation Spot Trap,’ which nabbed 18 corrupt officials in early 2025, aligning with a ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption’ stance.

The CM’s defense came amid sharp criticism from Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who accused the LDF of governance failures, factionalism in IAS/IPS ranks, and RSS influence over police decisions. Chennithala slammed “illegal paroles” and rising crime, sparking a blame game. Vijayan hit back, alleging UDF’s past RSS ties and defending Covid-era parole extensions in the TP Chandrasekharan case, while promising action for Civil Police Officer rank holders before April’s deadline.

The session underscored Kerala’s polarized politics, with Vijayan framing the state as a bastion of secular resilience and efficiency—claims the opposition dismissed as hollow amid governance critiques