In an embarrassing development, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday informed that he would not participate in a programme to be held in Kollam on Tuesday at which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would unveil a statue of R Sankar, former Chief Minister, former general secretary of SNDP Yogam, outfit of Hindu lower caste Ezhavas, and former chief of Sree Narayana Trust.
Chandy, who was to participate in the event as per the original schedule, said in a Press release issued by his office that he decided not to attend it despite protocol compulsions as Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the SNDP Yogam and secretary of SN Trust which is organising the programme, had requested him to “help him by staying away”. Sankar, who died in 1972, had also served as the president of the State Congress party.
Confirming that Vellappally himself had invited Chandy to preside over the event, the release said the Yogam chief later requested him over the phone that he was unable to let him participate in the event because of objections from certain quarters prompting Congress leaders to allege that the objection had come from the BJP with which Vellappally was in an informal alliance.
As the matter became a controversy, Vellappally’s office came out with an explanation that the Chief Minister was exempted from the programme following Intelligence reports that there could be protests if he participated. However, reports quoting IB sources said there had been no such report.
‘I am duty-bound to participate in the event in two ways. Firstly, R Sankar was a former chief minister and former president of the Kerala PCC. As the Chief Minister of the State I have the responsibility to participate in an event in which the Prime Minister is participating as per protocol,” Chandy said in the Press release.
“However, I am forced to take such a decision (of staying away from the programme) as the organizers themselves have adopted a new position,” Chandy said in the release, adding that he would inform the Prime Minister about the situation in which he was staying away and that he would be there at the Kochi airport to receive him.
Though he was not ready to provide details, Vellappally indicated that he had requested the Chief Minister not to attend the programme. “It is certain that he will not come (to the programme). I don’t want to talk more about it because I don’t want to provide a subject for prime time TV talk shows,” the Yogam chief told newsmen in Kollam.
The controversy over the ban on the Chief Minister from a Yogam-organized programme has erupted exactly a week after Vellappally announced the formation of a political party of the State’s majority communities, the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS). The new party is expected to form an alliance with the BJP in the State Assembly polls to be held in April-May, 2016.
The Congress protested vehemently against the deletion of the Chief Minister’s name from the list of invitees for the Prime Minister’s programme saying that Vellappally had through this act humiliated the State and its head. Congress leaders accused the Yogam chief of acting on behalf of the BJP and RSS.
Stating that the Chief Minister of the State had been humiliated, Congress working committee member AK Antony said, “Who are these forces who are so powerful to make those who had invited the Chief Minister ban him from the programmeIJ The organizers should reveal this. This is not something that can be kept concealed.”
“Vellappally’s position amounted to humiliation of Kerala. It is obvious that the communal and fascist forces are behind this,” said State Congress president VM Sudheeran. “The Chief Minister does not belong to a party. Chandy is the Chief Minister of Kerala. To humiliate him is to humiliate the State,” said Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.
Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) said Vellappally’s act of inviting the Chief Minister and then exempting him from the event amounted to defiance to the State. The statue Vellappally was going to install in Kollam was of “RSS Sankar”, he alleged. Senior Congress leader KV Thomas wanted to know whether the Prime Minister had any knowledge of this.