Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 13 : Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Binoy Viswam on Thursday took a subtle jibe at Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty, suggesting that it wouldn't be fair to get "provoked by anyone" over the issue of PM SHRI scheme, which remains a priority of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not the left front.
Clarifying on his "victory" remarks, Viswam stated that he never intended to claim that the freezing of the PM SHRI scheme implementation was a victory of the CPI. However, he added, it was the victory of the LDF against the BJP-RSS project.
"I have said that this is not a victory of the CPI. I don't want to claim that. I would rather say that it is the victory of the LDF. At this moment, when the state is moving towards (local body) elections, it would not be fair to get provoked by anybody and to create controversy on the PM SHRI. The scheme is not a left priority, but a BJP priority. We don't want to clash over something that is a BJP priority," the CPI leader said.
His remarks come after Sivankutty's dig at CPI, saying that the halt on all proceedings related to the PM SHRI scheme was not about "anyone's victory or defeat". He said that he doesn't intend to measure the sacrifices made over this issue.
Meanwhile, CPI leader Viswam encouraged Sivankutty to read the resolutions passed by his party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the report presented by the committee under Prabhat Patnaik on the PM SHRI scheme. He said that the purpose of the PM SHRI scheme is to "smuggle" the New Education Policy (NEP) and RSS agenda.
"I don't know why Sivankutty, a top leader of the CPI(M), is arguing so vehemently in favour of the PM SHRI project, which is a BJP-RSS project. And the purpose is to smuggle in the NEP and RSS agenda into the field of education. The CPI(M) has passed numerous resolutions in this regard, categorically stating what PM SHRI is. There are numerous documents, and a committee was appointed by the LDF government under Prabhat Patnaik. I request comrade Sivankutty to read all those documents," Viswam said.
He further stated that the centre has attempted to interlink PM SHRI and the SSK funds, which are not the same. He said that SSK funds are Kerala's right, and the state has the right to fight for it, both legally and politically.
"Don't fall into the trap of the BJP governments. They have tried to interlink the PM SHRI and the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) funds. SSK and PM SHRI are not the same. SSK fund is our right. The central government has to give it. If they deny it, the state has a right to fight for it. And that fight should be a political and a legal fight. In that way, the LDF government has to go forward," Viswam said.