‘Why is BJP state chief attending an official function? Insult to Kerala’, says Minister Riyas

KOCHI: Public Works Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said excluding him from the inaugural function of national highway development projects in the state is an insult towards Kerala. The central government organized the programme in a manner that is not at all befitting of democracy. Riyas also accused the BJP of trying to single-handedly grab credit for a project that was implemented with the government's funding also.

‘It is the right of Kerala for those who are part of the project to attend the function. The state government gave a huge amount of money, including for land acquisition. However, I was deliberately excluded from the function. On what basis is the BJP state president attending the official inauguration of a development project? The development project has been turned into a political event. Don’t know why Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is not attending the function. He is one who has praised Kerala many times for the development of national highways. If the LDF government had not been there, this project itself would have been stalled. An attempt is being made now to make it seem like this is not an achievement of Kerala,' said Riyas.

Meantime, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers have decided to boycott the function in protest against the exclusion of Minister Riyas. The chief minister, Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty will not attend the function. Minister M B Rajesh clarified that he got the invitation at the last minute and as he has other programmes in the constituency is not attending the function.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the six-lane highways on the Thalappadi-Chengala section of National Highway 66 and the Vengalam-Ramanattukara section of the Kozhikode Bypass today. These projects involve projects worth Rs 10,800 crore. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Union Minister George Kurien are attending the function.