The Kerala Budget presented by finance minister Thomas Isaac on Friday sent strong political messages by carrying a painting of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination as its cover and attacking the BJP over the CAA in its preface.
The Finance Minister said that he opted the cover page as a political statement just to remind who killed Gandhi. The budget strongly flayed that CAA undermined the very essence of the Constitution.
The painting, 'Death of Gandhi' by Malayali artist Tom Vattakuzhy had been in wide circulation in the social media as many prominent personalities including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also shared it recently. There was even a row that the artist was not being credited by many. But Isaac had thanked the artist for granting permission for using it.
Isaac told reporters that attempts were going on to distort and re-write history. Hence the picture depicting the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi assumed much significance now.
The Finance Minister also dedicate the opening portions of the budget speech for the strongly flaying CAA. Democracy and dictatorship are standing face to face in India. The rulers in Delhi speak only in the language of hatred and rancour. Their followers consider violence and attack as their karma. The administration have completely yielded to communalism. The threat of detention camps is hanging over the heads of 19 lakh Assamese, who have lived as Indians till yesterday, he said.
The CPM leader further said that the country was passing through a period of the biggest agitation in the history of independent India. Recollecting the joint stirs against CAA, he said that Kerala was creating a new model of unity, when the country was facing a threat to its very existence.
The budget, which is the last full budget of the current left-front government and the one ahead of the local body elections in Kerala, contained many popular announcements like providing meals at Rs. 25, enhancing all social welfare pensions by Rs 100 each and austerity measures like curbs on new posts in government services. Various revenue mobilisation measures like enhancing building tax and fair value of land were also proposed in the budget.
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