Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday criticized the Central government for allegedly denying financial relief for the rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors.

Speaking at an event in Kasargod, he accused the Centre of adopting a vindictive stance against the state.

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“This is something that should not happen to any state. Kerala is also a part of this country. Justice should not be denied,” the Chief Minister stated, calling for strong protests across Kerala to counter the Centre’s perceived discriminatory attitude.

Pinarayi Vijayan also outlined the state government’s commitment to eradicating extreme poverty by November 1, 2025, through targeted programs.

However, he alleged that the Centre is financially strangling Kerala, undermining its efforts.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended the Central government’s demand for reimbursement of helicopter services used during the Wayanad disaster.

Taking to social media platform X, Chandrasekhar clarified that requesting payment for disaster-related services is standard practice for all states.

“Reimbursement of costs to @IAF_MCC for relief operations is routinely done by ALL state governments. But for @pinarayivijayan’s government that has a budget of ₹2 lakh crores/year, it becomes a ‘row.’ Why?” he posted.

The controversy follows a renewed demand from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the Kerala government to pay an outstanding ₹132.62 crore bill for rescue operations conducted since 2019.

Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan also expressed strong objections to the Centre’s communique, which directed the state to use its State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to settle the IAF’s bill.

Speaking to media in Thrissur, he labeled the move as discriminatory and unjust, emphasizing that the funds should not be used to reimburse costs incurred during humanitarian crises such as the Wayanad landslide and the 2019 floods.

The issue has sparked a heated debate between the Kerala government and the Centre, highlighting the challenges of state-Centre financial relations during natural disasters.