LDF govt invites Shah for boat race named after Nehru, Cong fumes

Thiruvananthapuram, August 27

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An invitation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah by Kerala’s Left government to attend a most colourful water sport race in the southern state named after Jawaharlal Nehru was criticised by the opposition Congress on Saturday.

While the Congress alleged that the invitation revealed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s “loyalty to communal forces and his love for the BJP,” the government defended the decision. It said Shah, along with chief ministers of southern states, had been invited to the spectacular event in Alappuzha on September 4 as they would be in the state for the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting.

Clarify reason

The CM should clarify the reason for calling Shah. It should be clarified whether the Lavalin case or the gold smuggling case against him is the reason for the invite. —VD Satheesan, Leader of oppn

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran urged CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to clarify whether the importance given by the CPI(M) Kerala unit to Sangh Parivar leaders had the blessings of the party’s Politburo.

The Chief Minister’s decision to invite those who “insulted and neglected Nehru the most” as chief guests at the boat race named after him is “objectionable,” Sudhakaran said in a statement. Rejecting the allegations, a government source said there was nothing wrong in the invite to Shah who would be in the state for the Southern Zonal Council meeting scheduled for September 3 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should clarify the reason for calling Shah. “It should be clarified whether the Lavalin case or the gold smuggling case against him is the reason for inviting Shah. It underlines the UDF’s allegation that there is an unholy relationship between the CPI(M) and the Sangh Parivar leadership in Delhi. The Chief Minister and the CPI(M) must respond to this opportunistic stance,” Satheesan told the media.