‘Govt should have sent invitees list'; Suresh Gopi responds to inaugural function controversy

THRISSUR: Union Minister Suresh Gopi has responded to the controversy over the exclusion of Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas from the inaugural function of national highway development projects in the state. The function was held in compliance with all the norms, said Suresh Gopi while talking to the media Thursday morning.

‘All about the inaugural function was informed to the Kerala government earlier. There were arrangements as per the blue book at the venue. Otherwise, the Kerala government should have sent the invitees list. If the Kerala government had informed, arrangements would have been made accordingly. It was necessary for their politics and that is why they said so yesterday. I was allowed to enter the venue only after checking my Aadhaar card. It is a function where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending, so it has its own protocol,' clarified Suresh Gopi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid the foundation stone and dedicated projects worth Rs 10,800 crore at the Kaloor JNL Stadium yesterday. Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi, George Kurien, Hibi Eden MP and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar attended the function.

Meantime, the state government had boycotted the function in protest against the exclusion of Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas despite the inauguration of roads costing crores and the official function being turned into a BJP campaign platform. Only Hibi Eden MP attended from the opposition. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers K Krishnankutty and M B Rajesh were invited. None of them attended. MLA Uma Thomas was also invited but she did not attend. The main protest was against the inclusion of the BJP state president without inviting Riyas. Entrusting a BJP leader to translate the speech was also criticized.