A road show led by PWD Minister PA Mohamed Riyas is underway at Ramanattukara-Vengalam reach in Kozhikode on Wednesday. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of projects worth ₹11,000 crore, including two sections of National Highway (NH) 66, in Kochi as the state heads to the assembly polls has sparked a political row with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (the CPI(M) boycotted the Kerala event on Wednesday).
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had no other public engagements that day, boycotted the event apparently in protest at the reported “absence of proper communication” regarding the invitation to the event and for not inviting Public Works Minister PA Mohamed Riyas to the event.
The CPI(M) organized the simultaneous inauguration of the two road sections before it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. While CH Kunhambu, MLA, inaugurated the Thalappady-Chengala stretch, Mr. Riyas inaugurated the Vengalam-Ramanattukara road stretch. Mr. Riyas also conducted a road show along the stretch.
While ministers MB Rajesh and K Krishnankutty and Congress leaders Benny Behanan and Uma Thomas, MLAs, did not attend the PM’s event, MP Hibi Eden did.
Reacting to the development, the CPI(M) termed the “deliberate exclusion” of Mr. Riyas from the event as the latest case of political vendetta by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the people of Kerala. Party state secretary MV Govindan said “right-wing politically driven discrimination” against Kerala was quite evident in the NH-66 episode. The state has received ₹5,666 crore through KIIFB for the road project, he said.
The attitude of Congress
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, who called the inauguration of road sections where “work continued” a political stunt in view of the upcoming parliamentary polls, criticized the reported exclusion of Mr. Riyas. The inauguration was not a family one, but a public one, organized with taxpayers’ money. Therefore, it was inappropriate and a violation of democratic principles not to invite the Minister of Labor, he said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary Binoy Viswom said that Mr. Modi’s visit to Kochi has repeatedly exposed the fraudulent approach of the Union government towards Kerala. The Union government was trying to stop the development of the state and suffocate it by denying its due, he criticized.
However, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the chief minister, who was invited to the program, should have decided on the persons to attend the event along with him. The list of participants in the event attended by the Prime Minister is determined by his office in accordance with the protocol. Since the Chief Minister has been invited, there is no point in arguing that his family members, including his son-in-law, should be invited, he said.
Meanwhile, MP Kodikunnil Suresh complained to the Lok Sabha Speaker about the reported breach of protocol in connection with the foundation stone laying ceremony of the 50 MW floating solar power project at West Kallada, which falls under his Mavelikkara parliamentary constituency.
He complained that he was neither informed nor invited to the foundation stone laying ceremony conducted by Mr. Modi.
Published – 11 March 2026 22:15 IST
