New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival at Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram today (January 23) to flag off three new Amrit Bharat Express trains and launch the 'Mission 2026' election blueprint was the trigger for a parallel movement across social media platforms. Under the hashtag #KeralaAsksModi, citizens, political parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and political activists launched a digital campaign demanding accountability from the Union government for what they describe as systematic fiscal negligence and the "economic strangulation" of the state.

Protesters argue that the state is being "punished for its progress," as the 15th Finance Commission’s population-based criteria ignores Kerala's success in social sectors. The campaign also specifically targets a series of "unfulfilled promises" that have become symbols of central neglect. The campaign's visuals offer interesting figures to that end and some of these are being reproduced below.

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