New Delhi, March 13 Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday criticized the Left parties and the Congress, saying they are hindering development works for the progress of Kerala, and asserted that the central government has increased the budget by eight times to improve the rail network in the southern state.
Responding to supplementary questions from CPI-M member John Brittas during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister also alleged that the "unholy alliance" between the Left and the Congress has no intention of completing any project in poll-bound Kerala.
He termed the alliance between these two parties as 'CCP – Communist Congress Party'.
"The real issue is that there is a very interesting alliance between Congress and the Left. I call it CCP, Communist Congress Party, and their only aim is to stop every project that is being undertaken in Kerala," Vaishnaw said.
He alleged that they have no intention of completing any project.
"Rs 1,900 crore have been allocated for land acquisition. We don't know what the situation is regarding land acquisition. The Sabari line, which has been there for so many years... After much persuasion, the state government has finally started the land acquisition process. Is this the way to serve the people of Kerala?" Vaishnaw asked.
The Union minister noted that Kerala has been ruled by Left parties and Congress from time to time.
"Congress and the Left, one by one, they have been in power. That is why I call it CCP, Communist Congress Party," he said, adding that the project approved by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda is being completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Deve Gowda was present in the House at the time.
Vaishnaw said, "Because of this unholy alliance of Congress and the Left, there is absolutely no intention of doing any development work in Kerala. That is why it is taking so many years to complete projects. I will once again emphasize that this CCP has absolutely no intention of doing any work."
In his written reply, the minister highlighted that budget allocation has increased significantly in recent years.
Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the state of Kerala during 2009-14 stood at Rs 372 crore/year. In 2025-26, the budget is Rs 3,042 crore (more than 8 times), he informed the House.
While asking a supplementary question, Brittas said, "One good thing about the Railway Minister is that he is an expert in showcasing and marketing..."
To this, Vaishnaw retorted, saying this is a "derogatory remark".
"John Brittas Ji is a very learned journalist, and he knows how to create a false narrative. So his expertise is in creating false narratives. That is why he is creating that false narrative," Vaishnaw said.
On a separate query related to the Nemom rail project in Kerala, the minister said that it is progressing well.