Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday led a 'Satyagraha' protest here against the BJP-led union government, accusing it of "political vengeance" and "bias" in denying the state its rightful financial allocations.

The day-long protest, which commenced at the Martyrs' Memorial in Palayam in the heart of the city in the morning, saw the participation of cabinet ministers, ruling MLAs, senior leaders and other people's representatives.

During his inaugural address, Vijayan charged the Centre with "deliberately creating obstacles" to stall the state's progress it has achieved in various sectors all these years.

"The Centre is trying to snatch away the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Kerala, which should not happen in a democratic country," he said.

Vijayan said the situation Kerala is facing "should never occur in a democratic country."

"What is happening to Kerala is something that should never occur in a democratic country. The Union rulers, who assume absolute authority, are arbitrarily and discriminatorily usurping our rights. These are constitutional rights, and it is to protect those rights that we are being forced to take to the streets," Kerala CM said.

The Kerala CM alleged that the Centre had slashed the borrowing limit, threatening state's end-of-year finances

"This is the situation Kerala is facing today. From January through March, the Union government cut the funds available for the state's utilisation by more than half at the last minute. Kerala was entitled to ₹12,000 crore. It is not possible to move forward relying only on revenue income; borrowing is also essential, especially to meet end-of-year expenditures. Of the ₹12,000 crore borrowing limit, ₹5,900 crore has been denied without justification. This is not all. Under centrally sponsored schemes implemented in the country, including those in Kerala, the state first spends its own funds," he added.

CM Vijayan added that Centre's actions were not merely aimed at the state government but amounted to a broader attempt to weaken Kerala as a whole, affecting all sections of society.

"These actions cannot be seen as targeting only the state government. They affect all sections of the people and amount to a policy that squeezes Kerala as a whole. What is happening is part of a deliberate and well-planned approach. Planning should be meant to lead a state towards progress, but the Union government is attempting to weaken and undermine Kerala," he said.

"Kerala is a state that has made contributions to the country that we can be proud of. The Centre is trying to dismantle our achievements in health, education and welfare sectors. Union authorities have repeatedly questioned why Kerala provides welfare benefits on such a large scale. Kerala has refused to accept that line of thinking. There are schemes launched in the name of the Prime Minister with much fanfare, but what Kerala experiences instead is obstruction and denial," he added.

He said the LDF government was forced to launch such a protest to protect the rights of its people in such an unprecedented situation. He urged everyone to stand united to ensure that Kerala received its due share.

Vijayan also took aim at the opposition Congress-led UDF, accusing them of indirectly supporting the BJP and the saffron party-led union government in the matter.

The satyagraha is scheduled to be concluded in the evening.

(with inputs from ANI & PTI)