Amid protests over case against journalist, CM Vijayan calls Kerala a 'beacon of progressive ideas' in the US

New York: Amidst the controversy over the case being filed against the journalist who reported that SFI state secretary, PM Arsho, had cleared all papers without appearing for exams, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi, who is visiting the US, stated that the state embraces every voice for a brighter future.

Addressing hundreds of members of the diaspora community from the state at a public event in Times Square, the Chief Minister emphasized the significant strides Kerala has made in the last six years under his governance, positioning the state as a beacon of progressive ideas where every voice matters and the spirit of unity paves the way for a brighter future.

The Chief Minister on Sunday addressed hundreds of members of the diaspora community from the state at a public event in Times Square. On Saturday, he inaugurated the American Regional Conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha, a non-resident Keralites’ convention in New York.

“We have made giant strides in every sector over the last six years,” he said.

Addressing the public event at the centre of the popular Times Square, Vijayan highlighted Kerala’s progressive values, social harmony and equitable growth. He outlined infrastructure development and investments in public schools and the health system and other sectors undertaken and economic growth and development achieved by his administration. He further said the state is a model of inclusive development and has emerged as an example of people-centric progress.

Compassion and social justice drive “our policies that empower marginalised communities and foster equal opportunities for all”, the chief minister said. “Kerala shines as a beacon of progressive ideas where every voice matters and the spirit of unity paves the way for a brighter future,” he added.

Vijayan said while achieving gains for the state, he and his administration have also addressed certain areas that required focus and attention.

Kerala formulated an action plan that resulted in the state achieving the prime position in the national food safety index. Vijayan noted that Kerala is the most literate state and its government schools and hospitals have been adjudged as the best in the country by several agencies, including the NITI Aayog.

“We have the best law-and-order situation. All this has been made possible because communal harmony and peaceful coexistence are always ensured. That is why there has not been even a single instance of communal violence in Kerala over the last several years,” he said amid cheers and applause from the audience.

He called on the Malayalis present not just in the US but around the world “to continue to cooperate with us in the times to come to make your land more and more prosperous”.

The chief minister also pointed out that Kerala became India’s first fully e-governed state in May. “It is a historic milestone in the internationally-acclaimed Kerala model of development and social progress.

Through e-governance, we are championing transparency, efficiency and inclusivity. “We are harnessing technology to ensure seamless access to diverse public services of which more than 900 are now available online.”

The Kerala police have registered a case against Akhila Nandakumar, a reporter with the Malayalam news channel Asianet News, based on a complaint filed by PM Arsho. The complaint pertains to her report stating that he, an MA Archaeology student at Maharaja’s College Ernakulam, had cleared all his exams without appearing for them. Akhila, who serves as the chief reporter of Asianet News Kochi, has been named as the fifth accused in the case.

Arsho was caught in a controversy after it was alleged he had cleared his third-semester exams without writing a single paper. However, he later said that he was not in Ernakulam at the time so he had not written any of the papers. The college authorities then stated that it happened due to a technical glitch at the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

With inputs from PTI