ASHAs fail to question Centre, extend warm welcome to Suresh Gopi: MA Baby

Newly elected CPM General Secretary M A Baby on Monday said that the demands of protesting ASHA workers in Kerala fall primarily under the purview of the central government. He pointed out that the Left government increased their honorarium from ₹1,000 to ₹7,000 while the Centre, which introduced the scheme, has yet to take meaningful action.

Speaking to Manorama News, Baby said the Kerala government had already held three rounds of talks with the ASHA workers. “It is reasonable to ask the state to intervene and push the Centre for a solution. But they refused to do that. Meanwhile, the protesters warmly received Union Minister and BJP MP Suresh Gopi, without questioning him on the Centre’s continued neglect. It is unfortunate,” he said.

Addressing the alleged scam involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter, Veena Vijayan, Baby claimed it was politically motivated. “Veena is an entrepreneur in the IT sector. Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) availed her firm's services, for which she was paid legally through bank transactions and paid taxes to the central government. This case is nothing but a political attempt to target her because she is related to a prominent leader,” he said. He also questioned whether there was any evidence showing that CMRL gained undue benefits from the state government through Veena. “Since they can’t directly target Pinarayi Vijayan, they are trying to discredit him through Veena. This is highly undemocratic,” he added.

Baby was elected CPM general secretary at the 24th All India Party Congress on Sunday in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. A former state minister, Baby is the second leader from the party's Kerala unit elected to the top post, following in the footsteps of CPM stalwart E M S Namboodiripad.

Baby added that he had received numerous congratulatory messages on his appointment, with those from literary icons M K Sanu and T Padmanabhan standing out. He also acknowledged greetings from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and actor Kamal Haasan.

Underscoring the need for constructive cooperation across political alliances for Kerala’s development, Baby said, “While political competition is natural, developmental issues demand coordination among all parties.” He also urged the Christian community to reconsider their position on the Waqf Bill, indicating the need for broader dialogue.

Referring to Congress leader V D Satheesan’s tweet congratulating him, Baby noted that it included a veiled criticism of the CPM’s position. “I don’t believe the CPM’s stance is problematic,” he said. He highlighted recent political shifts and pointed out that BJP’s Suresh Gopi was elected from Thrissur — a seat previously held by the Congress.

Reflecting on his political journey, Baby remarked, “I’ve been with the party since the 1970s. My only focus is to serve the party. Where and how I do that is for the party to decide.”