New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to Kerala has stirred a controversy as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has not been invited for the event. The Congress raised the issue in Parliament and hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for insulting the Chief Minister.
The event is organised by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and has invited former Kerala chief minister and leader of the Ezhava community R Sankar among others. But the SNDP has asked Chandy to not attend the event.
Stalling the day's session of Parliament, Congress said the SNDP general secretary Velapplly Natesan called up the chief minister and asked him not to attend the ceremony.
Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress said, "This prima facie amounts to a disgraceful and petty insult to an elected Chief Minister of opposition-ruled state. This will be fought staunchly by the Congress in Kerala as also elsewhere."
Defending the BJP for not inviting the Chief Minister, SNDP said that there was absolutely no pressure from the BJP. "BJP is not responsible for this. There was no pressure from BJP to avoid the Cheif Minister. He is using the issue for political mileage," said Natesan.
Modi will unveil the statue of former Kerala Chief Minister late R Sankar, a well known leader of the Ezhava community, who had headed the SNDP and the Kerala PCC.
Soon after his arrival at Kochi, his first to the state after assuming office as Prime Minister in May 2014, by a special airforce flight by 4:10 PM at the INS Garuda naval air station, he will leave by helicopter for Thrissur to address a public meeting of BJP workers at 5 PM.
After the meeting, Modi will return to Kochi and stay there, a government press release said.
On December 15, the Prime Minister will receive a tri service guard of honour at INS Garuda and inaugurate the Combined Tri services commanders' conference.
Modi will also be visiting the Sivagiri mutt and pay homage at the samadhi of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and offer floral tributes and plant a sapling.
He will then move to Vaidika Mutt, where Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore had met the Guru 90 years ago. He will also be planting a tree sapling, Swami Sachidananda, General coordinator of the Prime Minister's visit said.
A large plaque of 'Daiva Dasakam', inscribed in Malayalam along with its English translation, will be unveiled by Modi. He will then proceed to Sarada mutt in the Sivagiri campus and address the public for a few minutes.
Modi will then return to Delhi via Thiruvananthapuram airport by 5.15 pm in a special Airforce flight.
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