Don't blame BJP for cancelling invite: Natesan

The controversy over Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy getting disinvited from an event to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to stoke political debates on Monday. Chandy himself took to social media and said the move to keep him away from the function was an “insult to Kerala”.

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan who requested the chief minister to keep off the event said he was solely responsible for the decision and the BJP should not be blamed for it.

Chandy was requested by Natesan to keep away from a function where a statue of late former chief minister and Congress stalwart R Sankar will be unveiled, in Kollam on Tuesday. Natesan cited opposition from “some quarters” against Chandy’s presence.

The recent proximity between the leadership of SNDP, which represents Kerala’s Hindu Ezhava community, and the BJP adds a political twist to the move. Sankar who was chief minister of Kerala between 1962 and 1964, was also president of SNDP.

Amid uproar in the Lok Sabha over the snub to Chandy and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s clarification that the government or the prime minister’s office was not involved, Natesan confirmed that cancelling the invitation to Chandy was his decision.