THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State BJP has criticised the State Government’s arrogance in boycotting the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues.
Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, party state spokesman V V Rajesh said that while almost all State Govts had been represented either by the CMs or by senior ministers/top bureaucrats, Kerala had disappointed the people by not sending a representative of the State Govt.
“If the CM had been pre-occupied he could have sent a minister or a senior bureaucrat. Ministers such as K M Mani or P K Kunhalikutty could have been deputed. But the CM did not mind sending even a junior minister like P K Jayalakshmi. The CM’s arrogant behaviour was shocking and it would cause setback to Kerala’s interests,“ he warned. Rajesh observed that the BJP had polled over 19 lakhs votes in Kerala.
Asked whether state BJP would ask the Union Govt to implement the Madhav Gadgil report, he reiterated that even before the elections it was the BJP which had been asking the Centre to implement the Gadgil report as it was BJP’s strong conviction and political stand. He said Kerala’s state leadership would meet the PM and request him to implement the Gadgil report.