Uproar after Kerala CM snubbed at Modi event
PRIME MINISTER IN FIRST VISIT TO STATE SINCE TAKING OFFICE
Amajor row has been sparked in Kerala after the organisers of an event hosting what will mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Kerala has requested Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to keep off the event.
Today, Modi is expected to be in Kerala for the first time since becoming prime minister.
On his itinerary are a few events including the unveiling of the statue of former chief minister R. Shankar in Kollam.
Originally, the chief minister had been chosen to preside over the function.
But Sree Narayana Dharama Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, which is hosting the event, has changed its mind and requested Chandy not to participate.
The development comes on the heels of the SNDP launching a political outfit, the Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) party, last week. BDJS is expected to be in the BJP camp in the coming assembly elections in Kerala.
Chandy has promptly decided to stay away from the event, but the unusual request by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan has left both the Yogam and the Bharatiya Janata Party hard pressed to explain how such a demand could be made on a chief minister.
The move has angered the Congress unit in the state as well as the party high command in Delhi. “This is extremely narrow-minded, one is forced to say”, responded Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, V.M Sudheeran. The KPCC president has also demanded a clarification as to whether the decision to keep Chandy off, was taken at the PM’s office.
The Congress high command said “keeping the CM out of the prime minister’s event was equal to humiliating the Constitution of the country”, adding that “the chief minister represents the people of Kerala”.
There was also confusion about protocol violation in asking the chief minister not to attend the event, because protocol demands that the chief minister attend the event in his state by a visiting prime minister when it is the latter’s first visit after taking over as PM.
However, BJP leader V. Muraleedharan said the event at Kollam was only a private event and that there was no protocol violation as the CM and governor would be meeting the PM at the airport when he lands.
In protest, the Congress party has decided to hold a prayer gathering at Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram under the auspices of the KPCC while Modi unveils the statue of Shankar.
Meanwhile, the plaque beneath the statue which had initially carried an inscription bearing Chandy’s name, was removed on Saturday night and replaced with another, on which Vellapally Natesan’s name has been inscribed.
The change of plaque confirms that Chandy will not be present at the venue when the PM unveils the statute.
Natesan said, “No one needs to shed tears over not inviting Chandy to the event. The statue is not of Shankar the Congressman. When he was chief minister, he did not find support from those who are praising him now”.
The Congress high command said “keeping the CM out of the prime minister’s event was equal to humiliating the Constitution of the country”.