THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Once again, the Prime Minister’s Office denied permission for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pinarayi left for Delhi on Thursday to attend the two-day CPM Central Committee meet. The CM is also planning to meet some Union ministers.
It’s for the fourth time the PMO is denying permission for the Pinarayi-led delegation to meet the PM. The delegation, which sought the PM’s appointment for Thursday to take up issues in the ration sector, was told to meet Ramvilas Paswam, the minister concerned. The state had sought permission for a delegation comprising Minister P Thilothaman and some political leaders.
First the government approached the PMO for an all-party delegation to meet the PM on demonetisation issue and its impact in the cooperation sector. The PMO, however, directed to meet the Finance Minister. Later, in March 2017, the state again approached the PMO for an all-party delegation to meet the PM to take up Kerala’s development needs and funds for the same. This time also permission was denied.
This June, the state government sought an appointment with the PM on two occasions.
“On June 16 since the PM will be in Delhi in connection with the NITI Ayog meet, the state sought appointment for an all-party delegation. Since no permission was given, again appointment was sought for an all-party delegation to meet him on June 21,” said the CMO.