Congress won't hold more strikes in Kerala: K Sudhakaran

Kannur (Kerala) [India], February 4 (ANI): Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee K Sudhakaran on Saturday announced that the Congress protests against the state budget will be halted.
Congress announced that no more hartal (strike) will be held in Kerala state.
The State President said that the Congress Party is against the strike. KPCC president K. Sudhakaran and Member of Parliament (MP) said in Kannur on Saturday.
"Congress will not announce any more strikes. If there are no strikes, I will lead a fiery strike against the Kerala state budget," he added.
He said that the recently presented budget in the state, trampled on the middle of the people while CM Pinarayi is leading a lavish life by looting the money of the poor. Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) increased the price of liquor to help the drug mafia. Leftists should also respond to the tax-hiked budget.
K Sudhakaran concluded that the people should let CPI(M) loot the public property and should fight against them.
The members of Mahila Congress, the women's wing of the Indian National Congress, held a protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the state budget for the financial year 2023-2024.
Mahila Congress Trivandrum District Committee staged a march and protested at the Secretariat.
They lighten the lamps and candles as a protest, symbolically representing to praying for the finance minister to evoke his "good sense" for reconsidering the budget.
Mahila Congress District President Lakshmi R told ANI, "The Union Budget was a disappointment and we had some hopes for the State Budget but the Pinarayi government is simply looting the people in Kerala by evoking tax on almost all essential items. They fought against the Central for a high price for fuel, and now collecting tax."
Senior Congress leader Congress Shashi Tharoor also said the Kerala government's state budget is "very disappointing".
Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, "It is an extremely disappointing budget. The Budget is unfortunately exploiting the common man. Because the government seems to have no imagination, no idea how to generate revenue."
"Instead of promoting more revenue-generating activities, all they are trying to do is tax people. An extra cess on fuel...Rs 2 per litre for petrol and diesel. Also more primitive tax on alcohol where there is already the highest tax on alcohol in the entire country," Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
The Congress leader said taxes and cesses on everything have an inflationary effect. "When you put Rs 2,000 crore to control inflation, it makes no sense at all. So it is a deeply disappointing budget. If this budget is for say a school exercise, you will get a fail mark," Tharoor said.
Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Friday presented the budget for the 2022-23 financial year in the legislative assembly.
Petrol and diesel prices will be increased by Rs 2 per litre in Kerala, the finance minister said on Friday while presenting the budget.
The Budget allocated Rs 2,000 crore to check inflation. Despite being a consumerist State Kerala was able to control price hikes and the state witnessed the lowest price rise in the country, Balagopal said on Friday adding that the Petrol and diesel prices will be increased by Rs 2 per litre in Kerala. The minister said that the Centre's assistance to the state has been reduced and a financial crunch is expected this year.
The Youth Congress' members waved black flags and protested outside the Ernakulam Guest House a day after the state budget for fiscal 2023-24 was presented in the assembly by state finance minister KN Balagopal.
On Friday, Kerala Police used water cannons to disperse Youth Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha workers protesting against the Kerala Budget outside the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.
Congress Youth workers burned Kerala Budget Papers as a protest against the Vijayan government's state budget. Congress Youth workers also showed black flags to Kerala Chief Minister as a protest against the State Budget. The BJP Yuva Morcha also staged protests against the budget outside the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. (ANI)