Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], June 18 : Leader of the Opposition in the Keralam assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Thursday launched a sharp critique against the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, accusing them of abandoning their pre-election stance regarding the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.
Addressing the media, Vijayan highlighted that the scheme was a major point of contention during the Assembly elections, with the UDF, specifically the Congress and the Muslim League, having vehemently opposed it, with leaders also vowing to scrap the scheme entirely if elected to power.
"The PM SHRI scheme was one of the most debated issues before the Assembly elections. At that time, the UDF, particularly the Congress and the Muslim League, accused the previous government of surrendering to the Centre's policies and even alleged that the LDF had a deal with the BJP behind the move. Several UDF leaders had declared that if they came to power, the PM SHRI scheme would not be implemented. Some even said they would throw it into the Arabian Sea," Vijayan stated.
He dismissed the current government's justification for adopting the scheme as unconvincing.
"Now, the government itself is moving ahead with implementing the scheme. Naturally, a question arises: on what basis have they abandoned the positions they took before the elections and decided to accept the Centre's policies? The explanation being offered by the UDF is not convincing. They say the previous government had signed an MoU and therefore there is no option but to proceed with the scheme," he said.
Vijayan also argued that the UDF's pivot exposes a broader trend within the Congress party nationally.
"Congress-led governments in other states are also implementing the PM SHRI scheme, and none of them has expressed any opposition. They are moving ahead with the scheme and are prepared to implement the provisions envisaged under the National Education Policy. This shows that Congress's position across the country is to accept and implement the PM SHRI scheme. That is the reality," he remarked.
This comes after the Keralam Cabinet constituted a sub-committee to formally communicate the UDF-led state government's ideological stance regarding the Central Government's PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme to the Centre, said Chief Minsiter VD Satheesan on Wednesday.
PM SHRI School is a centrally sponsored scheme by the Government of India. This initiative is intended to develop more than 14500 PM SHRI Schools managed by the Central Government/State/UT Government/local bodies, including KVS and NVS, in which every student feels welcomed and cared for.