KANNUR: CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has extended complete support to the SilverLine project. The SilverLine is a project that Kerala needs, Yechury said at a press conference in Kannur, while explaining the decisions of the 23rd party congress.

The living standards of the people of Kerala have reached the European standards, he pointed out. SilverLine is not only a project of the government’s interest, but also a project required for Kerala’s development. Such projects by the LDF government has brought Kerala to the current stage, he said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said earlier that Kerala’s development projects were given green light at the party congress. Yechury extended complete support to SilverLine in response to the media’s questions regarding chief minister’s claim.

When asked about his opposition towards the Bullet Train project in Maharashtra, Yechury replied that both are very different projects. The two projects should not be compared, he said.

Yechury explained that the CPM was opposed to the land acquisition system under the Bullet Train project. The CPM is opposing because the land is being acquired without providing enough compensation. There is difference between the two projects in terms of the compensation, he said. In addition, Yechury pointed out that he was unaware of the land acquisition system in SilverLine and that the survey is still going on.

The Hindutva powers are trying to suppress popular protests. The Left is trying to create a democratic alternative against them. For this, we need the support of secular groups, he said.

Issues like hijab are the BJP's main agenda. The BJP is looking for all possible ways to implement it, Yechury said. CPM’s independent power shall be increased, he added.