Palakkad, 26 August (H.S.): KPCC president and Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph on Wednesday accused the Union government of acting like Vamana, the mythical figure associated with Onam, to suppress Kerala and undermine its development.

He was inaugurating a satyagraha organised by UDF MPs in Palakkad against the proposed bifurcation of the Palakkad Railway Division and the transfer of Mangaluru and adjoining areas to the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway.

Joseph alleged that the Railway Board deliberately announced the decision after the conclusion of the Parliament session to avoid strong protests by MPs. The order was issued around midnight without consulting the Kerala government or the state's elected representatives, he said.

The unilateral decision violates federal principles and amounts to grave injustice towards Kerala, Joseph said. He argued that transferring Mangaluru to the Mysuru Division would offer no operational advantage to the Railways.

Only around 10 weekly train services connect Mangaluru with Bengaluru, while the railway network between Mangaluru and Kerala handles a substantially larger volume of passengers and freight, he said. Separating Mangaluru from the Palakkad Division would seriously affect Kerala's railway development and its future connectivity, Joseph added.

He expressed regret that some BJP leaders were defending the decision when political parties should unite to protect Kerala's common interests. The Chief Minister has already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the withdrawal of the Railway Board's order.

Joseph described the satyagraha as a token protest and warned that the UDF would intensify its agitation if the Centre failed to reverse the decision. He also urged the Prime Minister to intervene immediately.

E.T. Mohammed Basheer MP presided over the protest. MPs V.K. Sreekandan, Shafi Parambil, Rajmohan Unnithan, M.K. Raghavan and Benny Behanan, Minister K.A. Thulasi, MLA Ramesh Pisharody and several Congress and UDF leaders attended the demonstration.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman