Row over Kerala CM's breakfast meeting with Sitharaman; FM says CPI(M) are 'nookukoolis'

Thiruvananthapuram: A recent unusual breakfast meeting hosted by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi has triggered a row with the opposition parties, including the BJP, trying to link it with the ongoing probe against Vijayan's daughter by Serious Fraud Investigation Office, an agency under the ministry of corporate affairs which is headed by Sitharaman.

While Kerala IPS officer turned BJP leader Jacob Thomas and Congress's coalition partner RSP's MP N K Premachandran raised suspicions over the intention of the meeting hosted by Vijayan, Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the mystery over the meeting was deepening as Vijayan was not disclosing the details.

Premachandran told a section of media that it was quite natural to have doubts over the intention of the unusual breakfast meeting hosted by Vijayan for the union finance minister as probe by SIFO against Vijayan's daughter was learnt to be in the final stages.

The IPS officer turned BJP man Jacob Thomas stated that it was unfair on the part of the Chief Minister to host a breakfast meeting for the union finance minister at a time when an agency under the latter was carrying out a probe against Vijayan's daughter in connection with the payments to the tune of Rs. 1.72 crore she received from Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited.

Premchandran also flayed Vijayan's statement that meeting between two persons with different political ideologies need not be considered wrong. "The CPI(M) had attacked me and even alleged that I was planning to join the BJP when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited me along with some other MPs to the parliament canteen. Now Vijayan is stating that there is no problem in meetings between persons from different political parties. It is double standard," Premachandran said.

Nirmala criticises CPI(M) for 'nookukooli' in Kerala

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman ridiculed that the CPI(M) cadres in Kerala were indulging in collecting wages without doing work as 'nokku kooli'. The jibe in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday invoked much curiosity as it happened within days after Kerala Chief Minister hosting a breakfast meeting for her.

"'Nokku Kooli' happens when workers are sitting and looking for some work. If you're unloading luggage from a bus and ask for help, a worker may charge Rs 50. However, you'll have to pay Rs 50 more—the other Rs 50 is 'Nokku Kooli. In Malayalam, 'Nokku' means 'to look', meaning a person - who may be a CPI (M) cardholder, will get the additional Rs 50 for just sitting and watching while the other person is putting down the luggage. Recently, Kerala CM gave an interview in which he says there's no 'Nokku Kooli' nowadays, which means it existed before," she said during the discussions in the Rajya Sabha on Manipur issue.