LDF Walks Out of Kerala Assembly Over PM SHRI Scheme Row
Before the walkout, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticised the UDF government, accusing it of making a "shameful surrender" on the PM SHRI issue
Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition MLAs of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday after the Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the implementation of the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme in the state.
LDF MLAs P. Prasad, K.K. Ramachandran and P.K. Praveen had submitted the motion, demanding suspension of House proceedings to discuss the government's decision to constitute a Cabinet sub-committee and initiate steps for implementing the PM SHRI scheme.
Before the walkout, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticised the UDF government, accusing it of making a "shameful surrender" on the PM SHRI issue.
Responding to Education Minister N Samsudheen, who said the previous LDF government had signed an MoU under which only the Centre had the right to withdraw from the scheme, Vijayan argued that the LDF had subsequently kept the agreement in abeyance.
Addressing the Assembly, Vijayan accused the Congress-led UDF government of abandoning its pre-election stand against the scheme.
"The UDF government has made a shameful surrender on the PM SHRI issue. Didn't they once say they would throw the scheme into the Arabian Sea if they came to power? Where has that rhetoric gone?" he asked.
Vijayan said the government was now defending a scheme it had previously opposed and questioned the reasons behind what he described as a dramatic change in position.
He noted that despite the MoU being signed in October 2025, the PM SHRI scheme had still not been implemented in Kerala after eight months.
Referring to a letter from the Union Education Secretary dated May 8, 2026, Vijayan said the Centre had merely requested the state to take urgent steps to implement the scheme, indicating that it was yet to be operational in Kerala.
He maintained that the scheme could only be implemented if the present UDF government took a conscious policy decision in its favour.
Clarifying the LDF's position, Vijayan said the previous government had not cancelled the MoU but had formally informed the Centre on November 12, 2025, that it was being kept in abeyance.
"As a result of that stand, the process came to a halt, and the scheme could not be launched in Kerala," he said.
Earlier, Education Minister N. Samsudheen criticised the previous LDF government, alleging that it had surrendered the state's right to withdraw from the PM SHRI scheme by signing the MoU with the Centre.
The PM SHRI scheme became a major political issue in the run-up to the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, with the UDF previously describing it as a CPI(M)-BJP "backdoor deal."
