Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 2 -- Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared the state free of extreme poverty. Vijayan made the announcement in a special session of the House convened on the occasion of Kerala 'Piravi' or formation day and later at a public event held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram in the evening. At the massive public event attended by Malayalam film superstar Mammootty, he said that eradication of extreme poverty from the state "was a reality and not a fraud". He was responding to the opposition Congress-led UDF allegation that the government's declaration was a "fraud" and a "public relations exercise" in view of upcoming local polls. In the morning, as the special assembly session commenced, Lead...