CM Pinarayi reaffirms stand on women’s rights

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday vowed to stand for women’s rights and resist attempts to destroy the values of the renaissance movement.
CM Pinarayi reaffirms stand on women’s rights

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday vowed to stand for women’s rights and resist attempts to destroy the values of the Renaissance movement.

“Gone are days when people thought that women do not deserve freedom. None will be allowed to bring back those days. The government stands with the SC verdict. But we would obey the court even if it issues a different verdict,” he said.

The chief minister was referring to the Sabarimala issue while replying to the discussion on demand for grants in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Pinarayi said that there were attempts to sabotage the renaissance values and destroy secularism in the name of Sabarimala.“The government strongly resisted those attempts and I was in the forefront. No matter if anyone calls it arrogance. We will continue to resist attempts to destroy renaissance values,” he said. There were attempts to mislead the devotees on the Sabarimala issue, Pinarayi said. “We put up a strong resistance. But we would examine whether anyone was misled. Necessary steps will be taken starting from the grass-root level,” he said.

The chief minister said that the LDF’s set back in the LS polls was temporary. “We view it seriously. But this is not the end. People do not have any opposition to the state government. We will continue with the efforts to build a New Kerala,” he said. The chief minister thanked everyone who supported the women’s wall organised to uphold the women’s rights and resist communalism. Efforts will be taken to propagate renaissance values.

The CM said a large section of traditional voters of the LDF switched sides this time to prevent Modi coming back to power. They wanted Congress to become the single largest party since a hung parliament was predicted. “Or else, they feared, the President would invite the BJP to form the government,” he said.

Four more woman police stations on the anvil
T’Puram:  Four more woman police stations would be set up in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly on Wednesday. The locations for the new police stations have been identified at four revenue districts such as Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Palakkad and Kasaragod. At present, 10 woman police stations are functioning at 10 revenue districts in the state.  With the new decision, all districts will have woman police stations.

AM Ariff shares bizarre joke on Rahul Gandhi in Assembly
T’Puram: CPM MLA A M Ariff on Wednesday shared an apparently insensitive WhatsApp joke in the Assembly to take a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The MP-elect said he received a WhatsApp meme which says Rahul Gandhi can now opt for becoming an “ooru mooppan” (tribal chieftain) in Wayanad since he has nothing to do in national politics.  Ariff was participating in a discussion on the demand for grants. “The meme is circulated by RSS men. But I do not subscribe to their view,” he said. Surprisingly, the crude joke triggered guffaws at the treasury benches. 

C-Dit revenue registered 85% growth from 2016, says CM
T’Puram:
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday told Assembly that annual revenue of the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-Dit) has registered a growth of around 85 per cent since his government assumed office. Replying to the calling attention motion moved by K C Joseph, Pinarayi said during 2011-16, when the UDF was in power, the average revenue of C-Dit stood at I36.73 crore. This has risen to I68 crore between 2016 and 2019.  

No government projects have been taken away from C-Dit, he said. Among the various works executed by the C-Dit included video documentation for various departments, digitisation works for Archives and Registration Departments, handling social media, website management of chief minister and other ministers, web-streaming of government programmes and hologram label production for Bevco.

HS-HSS merger Oppn stages walkout 
T’Puram:
The discussion over the proposed move to merge the high school with the higher secondary drew sharp response from the Opposition benches in the assembly on Wednesday. The Opposition, later on, walked out after the state government stuck firm to its stance. Addressing the house, K N A Khader who had moved an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the topic, said that the quality of education would be seriously affected if the state government based on the Khader commission report merges higher secondary and high school sections this year itself.

The IUML leader also said that the promotion of the teachers in both sections would be affected by the merger as the qualifications differ. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged the Khader committee report contradicts Kothari Commission. He also said the government implementing the Committee report on a piecemeal basis cannot be accepted.

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