Kochi: The Kerala government has decided to boycott Wednesday’s National Highway inauguration programme in Ernakulam, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend. The decision comes amid a political row following the reported exclusion of State Public Works Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas from the event.
Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was not included in the invitation for the function, prompting the state leadership to stay away. Chief Minister Vijayan, along with ministers M.B. Rajesh and K. Krishnankutty, confirmed that they would not attend the programme.
Minister Rajesh stated that the invitation reached them only on Tuesday and that he already had prior commitments in his constituency. Krishnankutty also cited scheduling inconveniences as the reason for not attending. The boycott is widely perceived as a protest against Riyas’s exclusion.
The event is part of a broader function in which the Prime Minister is set to inaugurate development projects worth Rs 10,800 crore in Kerala. Notably, the programme includes Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s Kerala unit president, and Union Minister George Kurian.
Key projects being inaugurated include the six-lane Thalappady–Chengala stretch of National Highway 66 and the Vengalam–Ramanattukara six-lane section of the Kozhikode bypass, both forming part of the ongoing expansion of NH 66 in Kerala.
Reacting to the controversy, Riyas said he had received no communication regarding his invitation and described the situation as “not befitting a democracy.” He highlighted the significant role played by the State government in the project, including funding land acquisition, and noted that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who heads the road transport ministry, would reportedly not attend the inauguration. Riyas also criticised what he termed a “hastily arranged inauguration,” emphasising that without the LDF government’s support, the project might have faced delays.
The CPI(M) has indicated that it will raise the issue politically, accusing the BJP of attempting to claim sole credit for a project executed with the State government’s participation. The party further alleged that the development programme had been turned into a political event.
Responding to the boycott, State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the Chief Minister leads the government and there is no protocol requiring the inclusion of his son-in-law. He said that the Prime Minister’s programmes had been announced a week in advance, and the CM had received the invitation then. Chandrasekhar suggested that the issue was being raised now in the context of the upcoming Assembly elections.
With IANS inputs