Rahul slams Modi over CM Chandy being asked to stay away from official function

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has come out all guns blazing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a barrage of issues. Rahul has slammed the Prime Minister over the controversy that has erupted in Kerala over Chief Minister Oomen Chandy being asked to stay away from an official function.

While addressing reporters, Rahul said, "The Prime Minister has insulted the people of Kerala by stopping the Chief Minister from going to a function. He is the voice of the people and the Prime Minister has insulted that voice."

The issue of Oomen Chandy being snubbed resonated in the Lok Sabha as well. The Centre staunchly denied any involvement of the BJP or the PMO in the issue.

Clarifying the government's stand on the issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "I completely reject the statement that he was deliberately not invited. The SNDP has had a spat with Oommen Chandy in the past and that is why he chose not to come, and they only invited the PM to the unveiling of the statue."

Backing Singh, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, "There is no involvement of the PMO in this case. The mail I am reading from clearly states that Oomen Chandy will not be available to attend."

Meanwhile Oomen Chandy has tweetedk "I considered the opportunity to participate in the statue unveiling function of Shri R Shankar as an honour. I felt extremely sad when I was told not to attend the function by the organisers who invited me to the event. It is not a personal insult. Kerala was insulted when its CM was denied the right to participate in an event that the PM is attending."

Modi will unveil the statue of former Kerala Chief Minister late R Sankar, a well known leader of the Ezhava community, who had headed the SNDP and the Kerala PCC.

Soon after his arrival at Kochi, his first to the state after assuming office as Prime Minister in May 2014, by a special airforce flight by 4:10 PM at the INS Garuda naval air station, he will leave by helicopter for Thrissur to address a public meeting of BJP workers at 5 PM.

After the meeting, Modi will return to Kochi and stay there, a government press release said.

On December 15, the Prime Minister will receive a tri service guard of honour at INS Garuda and inaugurate the Combined Tri services commanders' conference.

Modi will also be visiting the Sivagiri mutt and pay homage at the samadhi of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and offer floral tributes and plant a sapling.

He will then move to Vaidika Mutt, where Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore had met the Guru 90 years ago. He will also be planting a tree sapling, Swami Sachidananda, General coordinator of the Prime Minister's visit said.

A large plaque of 'Daiva Dasakam', inscribed in Malayalam along with its English translation, will be unveiled by Modi. He will then proceed to Sarada mutt in the Sivagiri campus and address the public for a few minutes.

Modi will then return to Delhi via Thiruvananthapuram airport by 5.15 pm in a special Airforce flight.