THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday backed PWD Minister PA Mohammed Riyas's recent statement in the state Assembly that MLAs should not visit his office with contractors of various projects, saying there was no conflicting view in the CPI(M) on the matter.
"It is not right for MLAs to take contractors with them while visiting the ministers' office," the Chief Minister told reporters here responding to a query on the alleged differences within the CPI(M) legislature party on the statement of Riyas.
"There is no conflicting view in the CPI(M) on the matter", Vijayan said, throwing his weight behind the PWD minister, who is also his son-in-law.
Vijayan said when he was the state Electricity Minister in 1996, a MLA had visited him with a contractor.
"Then I told him that this is not part of your job," he said, and asserted that the MLAs need not visit the ministers' office with contractors.
Making a statement in the state assembly on October 7, Riyas had said that the MLAs should not visit his office with contractors as it will create trouble in the future.
"The MLAs need not visit the minister's office with contractors. That will create issues in the future. The contractors have their associations. They can approach the ministry if they have any issues to discuss," Riyas told the Assembly.
When a section of media reported that Riyas was criticised in the legislative party meeting of the CPI(M) legislators over the issue, forcing him to tender an apology, the Minister had rejected it, saying none of the MLAs had raised such an issue.
Earlier, the ruling CPI(M) had also come out in support of Riyas saying what he said was the stand of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Reacting to a query, party state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan had said the minister was explaining the stand of the party and the government.