Chief Minister asked to keep away from Prime Minister's function

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will not attend the unveiling of the statue of former Chief Minister and former KPCC president R. Sankar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kollam on December 15 on a request from the organisers.

The Chief Minister said in an official release her today that he was not attending the function because SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesaan, who had invited him earlier, had requested him over phone to help him by keeping away from the function. Mr. Natesan had said that some quarters were opposed to his attending the function.

The Chief Minister said that he was very sad about the development. In a way, he was bound to attend the function as Sankar was former Chief Minister and former KPCC president. Besides, he was also duty bound to be at a function attended by the Prime Minister as per protocol and extend normal courtesies. However, he had to decide to keep away from the function because the organisers themselves had changed their stand.

Mr. Chandy said that he would convey his inability to attend the function under the given circumstances to Mr. Modi. However, he would be there to receive Mr. Modi at the Kochi airport. Agriculture Minister K. P. Mohanan would be the Minister-in-waiting.

Before Mr. Modi’s departure from Thiruvananthapuram, all concerned would meet him to present the demands of the State before him and bid him farewell, he said.

Interestingly, it was Mr. Chandy who had forwarded the invitation from Mr. Nateswan to Mr. Modi urging him to accept the invitation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Natesan told the media that Mr. Chandy was not participating in the function because it was a private one.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala demanded that Mr. Natesan should clarify whether he had cancelled his invitation to Chandy under pressure from BJP.

Meanwhile, the differences between the Yogam and Sivagiri Mutt has intensified with the stand of the Mutt that Mr. Modi was not visiting Sivagiri on its invitation.