The Congress has escalated its criticism of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government by launching the ‘Kadakku Purathu’ campaign. This campaign, named after an incident in 2017 when Chief Minister Vijayan asked journalists to leave a meeting, symbolizes his strained relationship with the media and critics. The Chief Minister’s Office defended his actions, stating that the media was not invited to the meeting, but the incident sparked protests from journalists across Kerala.
The Congress has now revived this slogan to use it as a political tool ahead of elections. Under this campaign, the party has introduced a website, kadakkupurathu.com, where citizens can symbolically “remove the Chief Minister from the throne” and lodge complaints against the government. The website features a detailed charge sheet highlighting what the Congress perceives as the government’s failures in various sectors, including youth unemployment, agrarian issues, alleged temple thefts, drug abuse, wildlife attacks, and challenges to secular values.
By bringing back ‘Kadakku Purathu,’ the Congress aims to harness public discontent against what it sees as PR-focused governance. As political tensions escalate with elections on the horizon, this phrase from the past has resurfaced to haunt the Chief Minister in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly polls.
