Venugopal Clarifies: Kerala's Welfare Pension Controversy Unveiled

K C Venugopal, Congress general secretary, addressed concerns raised over his recent remarks regarding welfare pension disbursement delays in Kerala. He clarified that his comments were misinterpreted by the CPI(M) as suggesting pensions were election bribes.

Venugopal pointed out the consistent pattern of delayed pension payments, which seem to align closely with election cycles to favor certain outcomes. He asserted that his remarks were not against the beneficiaries, who rightfully deserve timely pensions.

In response to the backlash from CPI(M) leaders, including Govindan and state ministers, Venugopal maintained his intentions were to shed light on the government's priorities and discrepancies in pension fund allocation, not to undermine the rights of beneficiaries.

(With inputs from agencies.)