Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemned the Union government for imposing what he described as a targeted financial siege on the state. While inaugurating a massive satyagraha protest at the Martyrs’ Column in Thiruvananthapuram, he accused the Centre of abandoning development goals and instead focusing on ways to choke Kerala by withholding its legitimate share of funds in a biased and vengeful manner.

Vijayan presented stark numbers to support the charge of discrimination. The Centre slashed Rs 5,900 crore from Kerala's Rs 12,000-crore borrowing limit for the January–March quarter. Pending central dues stand at Rs 5,783.69 crore across multiple schemes until September 2025, with an additional Rs 3,544 crore potentially lost due to restrictive conditions under the VB-G RAM G framework. He insisted these actions hurt every citizen, not just the ruling LDF, and called for statewide unity against such policies.

Rejecting the narrative that Kerala’s fiscal strain results from its own extravagant spending, the Chief Minister cited the December 2025 CAG report and remarks by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam about pressure to shrink states’ tax devolution after the Modi government came to power. He highlighted the grossly inadequate relief provided for the Wayanad landslide tragedy as especially cruel, contrasting it with lavish lump-sum aid given to states politically aligned with the Centre—even under schemes named after the Prime Minister.

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Vijayan questioned why Kerala faces such hostility, linking it directly to animosity toward the LDF administration. He took a sharp swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on BJP’s prospects in Kerala, advising the Centre to abandon attempts to suffocate the state because those ambitions would never succeed here. He also lambasted the Congress-led UDF for remaining largely silent on the funding crisis and for what he called a compromising approach toward communal forces in pursuit of votes.

The satyagraha drew heavy participation from Left ministers and leaders, including Revenue Minister K Rajan, who underscored the state’s ability to sustain welfare pensions and women’s security schemes despite the crunch. CPM state secretary M V Govindan claimed Rs 57,000 crore is being denied annually, while CPI’s Binoy Viswam blamed the Centre’s indifference on Kerala’s refusal to vote for the ruling party. Notably absent was Kerala Congress (M) chairperson Jose K Mani, fuelling speculation about his party’s possible shift toward the UDF before assembly polls, though KC(M) minister Roshy Augustine attended and defended the LDF’s record.

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