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Kerala CM, ministers likely to skip PM’s event in Kochi over non-inclusion of PWD min
Both local self-government minister MB Rajesh and power minister K Krishnankutty said they will skip the event due to their other engagements
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two state cabinet ministers are likely to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event in Kochi on Wednesday where he will inaugurate a slew of projects for the state.
The principal reason behind the CM skipping the event is attributed to the non-inclusion of Public Works Minister (PWD) PA Mohammed Riyas from the event where the PM is set to inaugurate two important stretches of National Highway (NH) expansion, in which the state government has also allocated funds.
The CM’s office has not formally issued a statement on the same.
Riyas told reporters on Wednesday that it was ‘not good for democracy’ that a state PWD is excluded from an event where NH works are being inaugurated.
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“The PWD minister has been excluded, while the BJP state president has been invited. Ours is a government that has been elected by the people. If you look at the history of inaugurations of NH projects in the state, the PWD minister is always invited. Our government has invested ₹5600 crore in the ongoing NH expansion projects throughout the state. This is not good for democracy,” he said.
Both local self-government minister MB Rajesh and power minister K Krishnankutty said they will skip the event due to their other engagements.
Rajesh also alleged that he was asked by the SPG to show his Aadhaar card despite having the security pass for a previous PMO event in the state.
“In January, when the PM came here, I was among the invitees and was issued a special pass. But despite the pass, the SPG asked me to show my Aadhaar card. I told them that I would not show it and left. So I don’t have time for such programmes,” he told reporters.
The PM is scheduled to spend around four hours in Kerala on Wednesday during which he will attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the Dheevara Sabha, launch key development projects and address an NDA rally before departing for Tamil Nadu.
