THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden has come under flak from several quarters, including his own party and front for proposing a private bill in Lok Sabha suggesting that Kochi should be made Kerala’s capital.
The list of politicians and personalities who have rebuked the idea flatly include Youth Congress state president K S Sabarinadhan, Attingal MP Adoor Prakash, RSP secretary Shibu Baby John and Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi of the erstwhile Travancore royal family. Former Aruvikkara MLA and youth leader Sabarinadhan was very critical of the proposal on his Facebook account, pointing out that the demand was unwarranted and would only create a distraction from pertinent issues.
Hitting out sharply against the idea, Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee president Palode Ravi termed Hibi’s action as “immature”.
Another senior Congress leader K Mohan Kumar also came down heavily against Hibi claiming that it was childish of him to raise such a demand. Adoor Prakash rubbished the proposal saying that Congress has neither discussed it nor taken a stand in favour of Hibi’s demand. “Not only that, it is not at all easy to shift the capital to Kochi. There is no point in attempting such a move. Thiruvananthapuram has always been the capital of Kerala. I don’t think it’s worth a topic that has to be discussed on one fine day,” said Adoor Prakash.
UDF ally RSP leadership also condemned Hibi’s proposal. While Shibu Baby John claimed that it’s just a youth leader’s thoughts that should not be taken seriously, MP N K Premachandran opined that the debate itself is unwarranted.
“The political decorum is to discuss it in the party first and also among the leaders of the allies in the UDF,” Shibu added. Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi told TNIE that she can never take a favourable stand in Hibi’s demand of shifting the capital.
“Not only me, I don’t think anyone from Travancore will appreciate such a demand. Even those from outside Travancore will not entertain the same. What’s the need to raise such a demand after so many years? Thiruvananthapuram is a place of historical importance. If the capital is shifted, where will they find land for development? What would be the expenditure involved? And what will they do with historical structures like the Secretariat?” asked Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi.