Union Minister George Kurian’s remark that Kerala should declare itself ‘backward’ for federal aid stokes anger in State

Union Minister's comments spark political row in Kerala, leading to backlash from opposition parties and calls for apology.

Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian’s remark that Kerala should declare itself a socially and economically backward State if it were to receive a part of the Union Budget allocation for less developed States has sparked a political row.

Moreover, his comments have arguably emerged as a central piece of campaigns by the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the local body elections in Kerala. 

Speaking to a news channel in New Delhi, Mr. Kurian said Kerala could justify its claim to get Union Budgetary allocations for relatively disadvantaged States only if it declared itself a socially and economically backward province with no roads, education or a dependable public health system. 

Mr. Kurian claimed the Union government had concentrated on Bihar to catalyse flood mitigation efforts in the Koshi basin, which recurrently hobbled the State’s agrarian economy. Mr. Kurian said that the previous Union Budgets emphasised the development of Kashmir and the North Eastern States.

He further noted that the Union Budget for the current fiscal had prioritised the eastern States, particularly Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala’s turn would come.  

Mr. Kurian also denied that coalition politics and electoral priorities impacted the Union Budget, which allegedly passed over non-BJP-ruled States, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu. On the much anticipated Wayanad package, Mr. Kurian said disaster-related rehabilitation was separate and not within the Union Budget’s ambit. 

On an arguably similar note, the Union Minister of State for Petroleum Suresh Gopi, told a National Democratic Alliance election rally in Delhi that the State government should not divert Central funds and then weep for Central aid, further stoking the ire of the ruling and Opposition fronts in the State.