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 PA Mohammed Riyas from the event.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate various development projects, including the first stretch of the six-lane expansion of National Highway 66, during the official programme here by 1.30 PM.
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.
Kerala is going to the assembly polls in a few months.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't attend the event, though his name is listed on the programme, news agency PTI said, quoting unnamed sources. However, no particular reason was cited for his decision to skip the event.
State Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, who have been invited to the PM's event, also said they would not be taking part due to 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 developing the National Highway 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.
What is PM Modi's itinerary today?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Keralam and Tamil Nadu today.
At around 1:30 PM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation, lay the foundation stone and flag off multiple developmental projects worth around ₹10,800 crore in Ernakulum, Kerala, according to an official government statement. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering during the programme.
PM will lay the foundation stone for the Polypropylene Unit at the Kochi Refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The investment in this project is over ₹5,500 crore.
The facility will strengthen India’s domestic polymer manufacturing capability, reduce import dependency, promote industrial growth and will generate employment opportunities in the region, the statement said.
Thereafter, at around 5:45 PM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth about ₹5,650 crore in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion.
