Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Rajya Sabha Outburst Against CPM Leaves Kerala Congress Rattled

Thiruvananthapuram: The sudden and unprovoked outburst of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday against the CPM in Kerala has upset the Congress in the state and taken the wind out of the party’s sails.

About Union Finance Minister's Stand

The FM’s aggressive stand came after she had a cordial breakfast meeting with the State’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala House on Monday. But the atmosphere of camaraderie was shattered the very next day when Sitharaman unleashed a fierce attack on the CPM and Kerala in the Rajya Sabha.

Though she fired her guns at the CPM, it is the Congress that was left bleeding. Her outburst has come at a time when the Congress in the state has been constantly accusing the CPM of forming a nexus with the BJP ahead of the next assembly elections in 2026.

The Congress had plans to use this ‘secret understanding’ between the CPM and the BJP in the state as a major weapon in the poll battle ahead. But the plans have now gone awry after the FM had gone hammer and tongs against the ruling party in the state.

The sudden outburst of anger and criticism against the alleged ‘nokkukooli’ – a practice where labour unions in Kerala demand wages for not doing anything – was Wednesday denied by the CPM which accused the FM of blowing up isolated incidents.

Minister Sivankutty Wednesday said Nookukuli has been banned in the state. However, in reality, militant union headload workers still demand wages for not doing anything.

In Parliament, the CPM MPs from the state take extra care while raising questions to the FM. But she was provoked by CPM’s Rajya Sabha parliamentary party leader and MP from West Bengal, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who raised the issue of Manipur.

An annoyed minister hit back saying Communism had killed industries in WB and Kerala.