PM SHRI scheme: Govt decision is violation of front etiquette, party kept in the dark, says Binoy Viswam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam on Friday said that the state government's decision to join the PM SHRI scheme is a violation of front etiquette. He added that the CPM is in the dark about the memorandum of understanding related to the PM SHRI scheme. Speaking at a press conference, he said that every party in the LDF has the right to know about the scheme- what the agreement is and what it contains- and that the CPI state executive committee will meet on October 27 to discuss the matter.

"The issue has not been discussed within the LDF. Matters that should have been informed to the coalition partners were not shared. The CPI knows the values and traditions of the LDF better than anyone. Therefore, when the LDF government in Kerala joins such a serious scheme, the fact that the contents of the agreement were not shared with the coalition partners raises political questions that the CPM should reflect on. The MoU had not been discussed in the cabinet either. The topic was earlier deferred for policy-level discussion in the Cabinet, but it was never brought up again," Binoy Viswam said.

"The government signed the agreement without any discussions and by keeping the constituent parties in the dark. This is not the LDF’s style. The CPI is very much aware that the LDF has always upheld leftist democratic values and traditions,” he said.

“Yesterday, I said that if the reports I heard were true, it would be a violation of front etiquette. Now it is confirmed- the agreement has already been signed. So, the CPI is repeating that signing it was indeed a violation of front etiquette. We did not expect this from the LDF. Decisions should not have been taken in this manner. This approach, which ignores leftist ideals and values, must be corrected,” Binoy Viswam said.

He added that the Communist Party has already sent a letter to the LDF convener and examined all available documents related to PM SHRI. “What we understood is that PM SHRI is a showcase of the National Education Policy (NEP). We have expressed our concerns. When the LDF government decides to be part of something like PM SHRI, it should think carefully,” he added.