New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- Union Minister George Kurian waded into controversy on Sunday after asking Kerala to 'declare itself backward' if it wanted

said that if Kerala wants more funds from the Centre, the state should declare that it is backward in terms of education, infrastructure, and social welfare.

The remark from Kurian, while speaking to reporters in the national capital, came in the wake of intense criticism of the union budget 2025-26 from the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress in Kerala, which on Saturday accused the central government of "neglecting" all of the state's demands.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal, and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said that se...