Kerala's Political Battle: Welfare Pensions Under Fire
The CPI(M) in Kerala criticized Congress leader K C Venugopal for allegedly calling welfare pensions an election bribe. State figures claimed that the pensions have been consistently paid since 2016, while Congress views it as a tactic to secure votes. Demands for an apology were made amidst ongoing election campaigns.
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The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala has lashed out at Congress general secretary K C Venugopal over his purported claim that the state's welfare pensions serve as an election bribe. CPI(M) officials have dismissed the allegation as baseless and misleading, demanding a public apology from Venugopal and his party.
State party secretary M V Govindan highlighted the continuity and gradual increase of welfare pensions since 2016, refuting claims that they are tied to election cycles. Govindan argued that such payments were long-standing and had cleared previous arrears left by the former United Democratic Front government.
The row comes amid the Nilambur assembly by-poll campaign, with CPI(M) and state ministers accusing Congress of undermining public intelligence. They assert that the opposition's rhetoric is politically motivated and claim it underlines a lack of focus on development.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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