Thiruvananthapuram, June 23 -- Leader of Opposition in the Keralam Assembly and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of pursuing a neoliberal privatization agenda, alleging that its White Paper and first State Budget mark a retreat from the Keralam model of development and are aimed at handing over public assets and key sectors to private interests.

Speaking at a seminar titled "The Return of Neoliberal Agendas", Vijayan said the White Paper and Budget sought to create a misleading narrative while ignoring key financial indicators and the role of the Centre's policies in Kerala's fiscal constraints.

"The White Paper and the Budget mark a retreat for Keralam. ...