NEW DELHI: A.P. Abdullakutty, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP from Kerala, Friday said that although he doesn't agree with Narendra Modi's "communal agenda", he was impressed by the Gujarat chief minister's development initiatives.
Abdullakutty, who has been representing Kannur constituency in parliament for the last two terms, had stirred a controversy by stating on Dec 29 that Modi's development model for Gujarat should be emulated in Kerala for attracting more investments.
The CPI-M, known for its anti-Modi stand, had asked Abdullakutty to explain why action should not be taken against him for praising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
In his five-page written reply to Kannur district leadership of the party, Abdullakutty said Modi's efforts towards economic development of Gujarat were praiseworthy.
"I cannot forgive Modi for his role in the 2002 Gujarat violence. I don't agree with his communal agenda. But I have given full marks to his development programmes (in the reply)," Abdullakutty told IANS on phone from Kerala's Kannur town.
In his statement to Malayalam television channels in Dubai in December, Abdullakutty also described Gujarat as the country's number-one investor-friendly state.
He had referred to Ratan Tata's decision to pull out the small car project from West Bengal and subsequent intervention by Modi to bring the project to Gujarat.
The statement created a storm in the CPI-M with T.K. Hamsa, another party MP from Kerala, criticising Abdullakutty for praising Modi. Some party leaders even call him mad.