Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan traded barbs with Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, using an iconic movie dialogue. Vijayan retorted, ‘Dash Mone Revantha,’ after Reddy called PM Modi his ‘godfather’ and challenged him to a debate ahead of assembly polls.
‘Dash Mone Revantha’: Vijayan Hits Back at Telangana CM
Just ahead of Assembly polls in Keralam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday made an acerbic jab at Telangana counterpart and Congress leader Revanth Reddy, borrowing from the iconic Malayalam cinema dialogue ‘P Mone Dinesha’, a condescending phrase, implying that the person is not worth the speaker’s time.
Vijayan, earlier today while addressing a press conference in Kannur, retorted, “Dash Mone Revantha, the reply to you is coming soon.” He was responding to reporters’ queries on allegations raised by Reddy. Revanth Reddy had on April 6 posted on his X platform a six-page letter in a detailed response to Vijayan’s earlier post. The Telangana CM signed off the post with “NeePo, Mone Vijayan!” Incidentally, the original dialogue was spoken by the character of Mohanlal in the 2000 film ‘Narasimham’.
Reddy Alleges Modi is Vijayan’s ‘Godfather’
Today in his press conference Vijayan said that such remarks do not suit the Chief Minister of a state. “But since he has made the allegations in public, I will also respond publicly.” Reddy had today asserted that Vijayan’s “expiry date is over” and claimed that the CPI(M) leader’s “godfather” Prime Minister Narendra Modi was protecting him from ongoing legal cases. Reddy said, “Pinarayi Vijayan’s expiry date is over, and people are going to take a firm decision in the elections… Pinarayi Vijayan’s godfather is Narendra Modi, who is protecting him from all the cases.” Reddy also expressed his willingness to engage in a direct, fact-based debate with Vijayan, amid an intensifying political exchange between the two leaders ahead of the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections.
Vijayan’s Detailed Rebuttal
Vijayan in his rebuttal to Reddy today said, “Political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude I reject. The LDF Government’s accountability to its people is continuous, not just at five year intervals. Our Progress Reports are publicly available. Your statements lack factual backing,”
“The LDF Government has been uncompromising in its criticism against actions of the Union Government which devalue the constitutional spirit. A strong stand on matters does not require a language crossing the borders of decency,” Vijayan posted on X.
“We will go, but only forward. We will move forward by creating a Nava Keralam that will serve as a model for all,” he said.
“You accused the LDF of not criticising the ruling BJP enough. Yet, it is the Government of Keralam fighting legal battles in the Apex Court under Articles 131 and 32 against the BJP-led Government encroaching on the rights of the States. We are actively trying our best in bringing States ruled by non-BJP parties on a common platform, including joint initiatives for the 16th Finance Commission,” Vijayan said.
LDF Revived Stalled Infrastructure Projects
“True infrastructure is built on political will, not claims. Crucial projects like the National Highway expansion, the GAIL pipeline, and the Edamon-Kochi power highway were practically abandoned by the Congress government. Past Central Governments headed by your Party also caused inordinate delays for the Kochi Metro and the Vizhinjam International Seaport. The LDF revived and delivered them,” the Keralam CM wrote on his social media handle X.
Reddy Downplays LDF’s Development Achievements
Revanth Reddy had downplayed Vijayan’s claims of Keralam’s development achievements, attributing the state’s success to previous leaders and natural advantages rather than the ruling LDF government. “Keralam’s success story is not Pinarayi Vijayan’s success story. There were K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy who laid down the roadmap for the development of Kerala. God has given natural resources and better health to the people of Keralam, it is not because of Pinarayi Vijayan. It has nothing to do with the LDF government,” Reddy said.
Vijayan Counters with Governance Data and History
The Keralam CM, who is aiming for a third consecutive win in this Assembly elections, said, “The national governance indices expose your rhetoric: NITI Aayog ranks Keralam as the least corrupt state in India, while Telangana is the 6th most graft-ridden. In the National Sustainable Development Index, we rank 1st with 79 points; you rank 6th. Furthermore, Keralam has put consistent efforts and received the number 1 rank in introducing ease of doing business reforms.”
Citing Public Health and Education Reforms
“We deliver measurable outcomes through the Nava Kerala Missions. The Ardram Mission transformed public health by re-engineering over 670 Primary Health Centres into modern, people-friendly Family Health Centres. We upgraded over 13,000 public schools, equipped 45,000 classrooms with hi-tech facilities, and launched the ‘Samagra’ portal featuring over 19,000 digital learning resources.”
Historical Context of LDF Governance
“The decentralised governance structure was conceived by our first Ministry decades before the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments of 1993. The 1980s literacy movement was spearheaded by the LDF Government. In 1996, our People’s Planning Campaign revolutionised democratic decentralisation by transferring more than one third of the State five year plan to local governments,” Vijayan said.
“You attempted to claim credit for Keralam’s social indicators on behalf of the Congress. The historical reality: The first Communist Ministry introduced the Agrarian Relations Bill, which would have ended landlordism in the first decade after independence. But that ministry was undemocratically dismissed by the abusive use of Article 356 by the Union Government led by your party then, the Congress,” the Keralam CM said.
Reddy Challenges Vijayan to a Debate
Earlier speaking with ANI, Reddy told ANI, “I am ready to debate with Pinarayi Vijayan whenever he is ready…Who are his role models – Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, or Jyoti Basu and Somnath Chatterjee?…Pinarayi Vijayan is following Narendra Modi as his role model, and this is not acceptable to people of Keralam…He is campaigning like one more Narendra Modi…”
Polling to elect 140 MLAs for the Kerala Assembly is set for April 9 and counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)