'Declare Kerala backward for more funds': Union minister's remark sparks political row

Kurian, a Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala’s Kottayam district, serves as the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and Minority Affairs in the third Narendra Modi-led government.

Amid the Opposition's charge that Budget 2025 had ignored Kerala, Union Minister George Kurian has said the southern state must declare that it is backward if it wants more funds from the Centre. The remark has intensified the row and the ruling Left has said the minister's statement reflects the Centre's "anti-Kerala" stand.

Shortly after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the Budget speech in Lok Sabha, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it was a disappointing budget for the state. He said the Centre had ignored their request for funds to rebuild Wayanad, where landslides in July claimed more than 400 lives. The Budget also ignored the Vizhinjam Port in Kerala, reported NDTV.

"We had requested a special package for Rs 24,000 crore besides a special Wayanad landslide package. Considering the national importance of the Vizhinjam Port, we had requested support for it too. But none of these have been considered," NDTV report quoted him as saying.

"Kerala is being penalised for its gains in the education and other sectors. It is said that our state does not need more as we are already ahead in many sectors. But there are some areas where Kerala is lagging. But we get no support from the Union government to uplift these sectors," he said. "Kerala has been sidelined badly in this Budget and this is unacceptable to us," the Chief Minister said.

Amid criticism from Kerala over Budget 2025, Union Minister George Kurian said that the Centre allocated financial packages to states that lag in development. Taking a swipe at the Left government, he remarked, "Declare that Kerala is backward—that it lacks roads, good education, and infrastructure. If you claim Kerala is behind other states in these areas, the Finance Commission will assess the situation and submit a report. The central government will then make a decision based on that report. It does not act on its own."

Kurian, a Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala’s Kottayam district, serves as the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and Minority Affairs in the third Narendra Modi-led government.

His statement triggered sharp reactions from Left leaders, with CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan accusing the BJP of harboring an "anti-Kerala stance." He asserted, "The Centre wants Kerala to be backward, but that will not happen." Govindan further alleged that BJP leaders from Kerala share the same outlook, reinforcing the party’s indifference toward the state’s needs.

CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan accused the BJP of attempting to push Kerala into poverty and backwardness by withholding rightful financial allocations. "The BJP's objective is to make Kerala poor and backward. They have made several attempts to tighten their grip on the state. Since all such efforts have failed, they are now trying to hold Kerala back by denying it the funds it deserves," he alleged.

Veteran CPM leader E.P. Jayarajan called on the people of Kerala to stand up against Union Minister George Kurian’s remarks, urging them to protest against what he described as an unfair and damaging stance toward the state.