Political Tensions Surround PM Modi’s Visit
“I had not received any official communication inviting him to the function and termed the move ‘political’ and ‘not befitting a democracy’,” stated P A Mohammed Riyas, the Public Works Department Minister of Kerala, regarding his absence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official event in Kochi on March 11, 2026.
The event was marked by the inauguration of several development projects, including the six-lane expansion of National Highway 66. However, the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers has sparked a political row, particularly concerning Riyas’s exclusion.
Riyas claimed he was unaware of any invitation until the day before the event. “I am not attending the PM’s programme. Yesterday, I came to know that my name was included in the list. I already have scheduled programmes in my constituency,” said M B Rajesh, another minister who also skipped the event.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty described the exclusion of Riyas as “shocking” and “politically motivated”, reflecting the growing tensions between the Kerala state government and the BJP-led central government.
BJP leaders defended the protocol followed, asserting that the Chief Minister was invited according to standard procedures. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a BJP leader, emphasized, “As head of the state, the CM was invited in accordance with the protocol.”
Amid these developments, BJP leader B Gopalakrishnan alleged that the state government was attempting to consolidate Muslim votes by boycotting the Prime Minister’s event, further complicating the political landscape.
The National Highway development project, which includes the Thalappady-Chengala stretch and the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass, was revived after the Left Democratic Front government came to power in 2016, following intervention from Chief Minister Vijayan.
Kerala has been noted as the first state in India where the government directly invested in national highway development, highlighting the significance of these projects for the state.
As the political fallout continues, the implications of the ministers’ absence from the event remain to be seen. Details remain unconfirmed regarding any further developments or responses from the central government.
