Excludes Minister Riyas; Govt including CM boycott inaugural function of national highway

KOCHI: The government boycotted the inaugural function of the national highway development project, which the Prime Minister will attend. Ministers including the chief minister will not attend the function. The state government boycotted the inaugural function of the Thalappadi-Chengala-Vengalam-Ramanattukara six-lane highway on national highway 66. Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas was excluded from the function and the government then decided to boycott the function.

Although Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's name is in the notice, he had earlier clarified that he will not attend the function. Although Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnakutty have received invitations, neither of them will attend the function. M B Rajesh opted out of the function, citing that the invitation was received in the last minute.

Meantime, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Union Minister George Kurien will attend the function. The CPM is strongly criticizing the exclusion of the state's Public Works Minister from the function, where even the BJP state president has been invited. The CPM alleged that the state ministers were excluded from the function as part of an attempt to make it appear that the BJP completed the inauguration of the national highway alone.

The inauguration of the first reach of the national highway is also scheduled to take place at the function inaugurating development projects worth Rs 10,800 crore in Kerala. The inauguration of the national highway, also built with the participation of the state government, is taking place.