Kerala CM, ministers to skip PM's official event over exclusion of PWD minister

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and ministers decided to stay away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official event in the state on Wednesday, following the alleged exclusion of the state's PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas from the event.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate various development projects, including the first stretch of the six-lane expansion of National Highway 66, during the official programme by 12.30 pm in Kochi.

The projects to be inaugurated include the Thalappady-Chengala stretch of NH 66 and the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass, both upgraded to six lanes.

According to government sources, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't attend the event, though his name is included in the programme schedule. However, no particular reason was cited for his decision to skip the event.

State ministers MB Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, who have been invited to the PM's event, also said they are not taking part because of personal reasons.

Reacting to the development, minister Riyas said he had not received any official communication inviting him to the function and termed the move "not befitting a democracy".

He said the state government had played a key role in the National Highway development by facilitating land acquisition and sharing funds.

However, senior BJP leader B Gopalakrishnan alleged that the state government and CPI(M) were attempting to consolidate Muslim votes in the upcoming Assembly polls by boycotting the PM's event.