'In Kerala, we will also look into those who get off the bus and carry luggage': Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly criticized the CPM and Kerala. In Kerala, even those who get off the bus and carry luggage will be charged nokkuoli. The CPM is behind the nokkuoli. That is the kind of communism that exists in Kerala. That communism has destroyed the industry in Kerala, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha.

The phenomenon of nokkuoli is not found anywhere else. Porters will charge Rs 50 to unload the luggage of bus passengers. And they will charge another Rs 50 for waiting for that long. This is nokkuoli. The CPM is behind this. That is the kind of communism that exists in Kerala. Even in an interview given two days ago, the Chief Minister of Kerala has to say that there is no nokkuoli there. The minister told the opposition members that they should not bother to teach him more and that he is from that region.

It is also noteworthy that Nirmala's criticism came after her meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kerala House the other day. Meanwhile, more opposition leaders came forward alleging secrecy in the Chief Minister's meeting with the Union Minister. MP KC Venugopal said that the meeting in the presence of the Governor was unusual and demanded clarification from the Central and State governments. MP NK Premachandran also mocked the double standard of "if they wear Bermudas, we wear Valli trousers".

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran came forward to defend the meeting. Surendran asked what was wrong in the Chief Minister and the Union Finance Minister sitting together and having tea.