Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the state will hold a one-day Satyagraha protest in Thiruvananthapuram on January 12 to oppose what he described as the Centre’s “financial strangulation” of Kerala.

In a statement shared on X, Vijayan said the protest would mark the state’s collective resistance against what he alleged are severe financial restrictions, slashed borrowing limits and withheld funds that have impacted Kerala’s development programmes.

“Kerala opens a new front of resistance on January 12 at Thiruvananthapuram against the ongoing financial strangulation by the Centre. A one-day Satyagraha with mass participation will be held, marking the state's protest against the sanctions.”

According to Vijayan, the Centre has reduced Kerala’s eligible borrowing limit by Rs 5,900 crore for the final quarter of the ongoing financial year, while the total borrowing cut for 2024–25 stands at Rs 17,000 crore.

He further claimed that Kerala’s request for an additional Rs 6,000 crore loan, sought as compensation for expenditure on National Highway land acquisition, remains pending with the Union government.

Centre withholding funds, blocking borrowing permissions: CM

Vijayan alleged that the Centre has also denied borrowing permission of Rs 3,300 crore, citing guarantee deposits. In addition, he said Rs 965 crore in IGST recovery is still being withheld, while arrears under centrally sponsored schemes have risen to Rs 5,784 crore.

“These measures have stalled Kerala’s progress and will be opposed collectively by the people of the state,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the Satyagraha aims to draw national attention to Kerala’s financial crisis and the alleged discriminatory fiscal policies of the Centre.

“The concerted efforts to stall Kerala’s progress will be duly resisted by our people. We shall fight, we shall win,” Vijayan wrote.

The protest is expected to involve widespread public participation and is positioned as a major political move by the Kerala government to highlight what it says is a systemic financial blockade affecting state development, welfare schemes and infrastructure funding.

ANI