‘If Riyas has something to say, he should tell his father-in-law, is he a bigger person than CM’

KOCHI: BJP leader S Suresh reacted to the exclusion of Public Works Minister P A Mohammed Riyas from the inaugural function of the national highway development project in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend. Suresh told media that the representative of the state government is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and that he has been invited to the stage.

‘This is not a family matter where the chief minister will attend a programme only if Mohammed Riyas is invited. This is a public matter of Kerala. The person who should lead it is the Chief Minister of Kerala, and he has been invited. If the chief minister had informed earlier that Riyas should also be invited, that could have been done.

As the chief minister of Kerala, he should attend the function. The Prime Minister is attending in a development programme worth crore of rupees. If the chief minister boycotts such a major development programme citing such reasons, tomorrow Kerala will boycott you. Why insist that all the ministers in Kerala should be invited? The public works minister is not a bigger person than the chief minister. If the chief minister thinks so, we have nothing to say. If Riyas has something to say, he can tell it to his father-in-law. He does not need to say anything to us. There is a protocol for the Prime Minister’s programme, and it has been followed,” Suresh said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving for the inaugural function of the six-lane stretch of National Highway 66 from Thalappady–Chengala–Vengalam–Ramanattukara. However, the state government had decided to boycott the event. The chief minister and other ministers will not attend the function. Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas was excluded from the function, after which the government decided to boycott it.

Although the name of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appeared in the notice, it had been made clear earlier that he would not attend. Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty also received invitations but they will not attend the function. M B Rajesh said he was skipping the function as the invitation was received at the last minute.