Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 Kerala's General Education Minister V Sivankutty criticised BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday, demanding an apology for his remarks against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas.
Chandrasekhar had said on Wednesday that, according to protocol, Vijayan, as the head of the state, was invited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official event, and if the CM was aggrieved over his son-in-law (Minister Riyas) not being present, "that is his problem."
"As the head of the state, the CM was invited according to protocol. It is nowhere mentioned that the CM's son-in-law (Riyas) and other family members should also be invited. If they have a problem with that, so be it. That is what I have to say," the BJP leader had said.
His remarks came after the CM and other LDF ministers decided not to attend the PM's official event inaugurating various projects in the state after Riyas was not invited.
In response to Chandrasekhar's remarks, Sivankutty, at a press meet here, said that Chandrasekhar's statements were "disgraceful" and demanded that he retract them and apologise.
"A person in his position should not have made such remarks. The political pettiness of the central government and the BJP will be answered by the people of Kerala," the minister said.
Sivankutty also questioned Chandrasekhar that when he was referring to Riyas as "son-in-law," was he aware of the political background of the PWD minister?
Detailing the political achievements of Riyas, the minister questioned whether the BJP state president can make similar claims.
Sivankutty also questioned how Chandrasekhar was eligible to be on-stage for the event.
"If the BJP state president was eligible to be on-stage, then the CPI(M) state secretary and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief should also have been invited there. Does Rajeev Chandrasekhar have two horns?
"After clawing his way onto the stage somehow, he is making undemocratic statements," Sivankutty said.
He further said that Riyas' qualifications came from the fact that he is a state minister and not because he is the CM's son-in-law, and Chandrasekhar was only eligible to sit behind him.
"Moreover, son-in-laws are seen with great respect, except in a few cases," he added.
