Row after CM and Satheesan skip K R Narayanan bust unveiling

BJP attacks Cong for ‘disrespecting’ ex-president; Pinarayi’s foreign trip was scheduled well in advance, says CMO

Swami Satchithananda presents a memento to President Droupadi Murmu at the Sree Narayana Guru centenary event in Varkala. | B P Deepu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan at the Raj Bhavan event where President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the bust of former president K R Narayanan on Thursday, has kicked up a row. The high-profile event was attended by former president Ram Nath Kovind, Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

Noticeably both the CM and the Leader of Opposition were absent at the event. While the chief minister is out of station as part of a Gulf visit, the Opposition Leader was present in the state capital.

Raising the issue, the state BJP criticised the two leaders for disrespecting the former president. Senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan questioned the justification behind both the leaders skipping the event. Muraleedharan said it was evident that both leaders were aware of the event but chose not to attend.

“It was such a significant occasion. The whole of Kerala knew about the event. That the CM and the Leader of Opposition chose to keep away is deplorable.

The chief minister knew of the President’s schedule and still made no effort to reschedule his foreign trip. It was a historic occasion where the bust of India’s first president from the Dalit community was unveiled by the country’s first president from the Adivasi community,” he said.

President Droupadi Murmu pays floral tributes to the bust of former President K R Narayanan Photo | Express

He further alleged that Satheesan’s absence was unjustified, as the Opposition Leader was in the capital at the time. “It shows the Congress’ intolerance toward marginalised sections. He should apologise to the Dalit community for giving such a significant event a miss,” Muraleedharan said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office clarified that the CM’s foreign trip was scheduled well in advance.

“It was a pre-scheduled event. The chief minister had taken permission from the President,” said a senior official with the CMO. Satheesan too refuted charges against him. Speaking to the media, Satheesan said he did not attend the ceremony as he was not part of the programme. “I was not part of the programme. That’s why I didn’t go,” Satheesan told the media.