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’.” This statement from P A Mohammed Riyas, Kerala’s Public Works Department Minister, encapsulates the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent official event in Kochi, which was notably attended by neither Riyas nor Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The event, held on March 11, 2026, was marked by the inauguration of several development projects, including the six-lane expansion of National Highway 66. However, the absence of key state officials has sparked a political row, particularly over Riyas’s exclusion from the guest list.
Riyas expressed his discontent, stating he had not received any invitation, which he interpreted as a politically motivated move. His sentiments were echoed by General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who described the exclusion as “shocking” and “politically motivated”.
In addition to Riyas, other ministers, including M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, also skipped the event, with Rajesh citing prior commitments in his constituency. He remarked, “I am not attending the PM’s programme. Yesterday, I came to know that my name was included in the list.”
The political backdrop to this incident is significant. The National Highway development project was revitalized only after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, led by Vijayan, came to power in 2016, following his intervention. This context adds weight to the political implications of the ministers’ absence.
BJP leaders, including Rajeev Chandrasekhar, defended the invitation process, asserting that the Chief Minister was invited according to protocol. “As head of the state, the CM was invited in accordance with the protocol,” he stated, downplaying the significance of Riyas’s exclusion.
Further complicating the narrative, BJP leader B Gopalakrishnan alleged that the state government was attempting to consolidate Muslim votes by boycotting the Prime Minister’s event, thereby framing the situation within a broader electoral strategy.
The projects inaugurated during the event included critical stretches of National Highway 66, such as the Thalappady-Chengala stretch and the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass. Kerala has been a pioneer in India, being the first state where the government directly invested in national highway development.
As the political landscape evolves, the implications of this event and the ministers’ absence may continue to unfold, with potential repercussions for both state and national politics.
