Malappuram (Kerala): A political row erupted between Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the inauguration of roads constructed with PMGSY funds in Nilambur Assembly segment on Wednesday.
The area comes under Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad constituency and he was supposed to inaugurate eight roads under PMGSY but Nilambur MLA PV Anvar, who belongs to the ruling LDF party, bypassed Gandhi and inaugurated the project on Tuesday.
Vijayan said that 40 percent of the cost of the project was given by the state government. The Chief Minister said, "If any project is inaugurated in Kerala, the state government should be informed about it. Whether it is a project by the union government or the state, or a joint venture".
Speaking to the media during the ongoing Nava Kerala Sadas programme, CM Vijayan defended the MLA's action and expressed ignorance about Gandhi's plan to inaugurate the roads and questioned who made the decision that the Congress leader would open the roads built using the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana funds in Nilambur.
MLA Anvar alleged that Congress was "playing politics" over the road inauguration and that he was not invited to the function where Gandhi was the chief guest. Meanwhile, the Congress slammed the MLA and the Left government over the issue. The party, citing a circular from the Ministry of Rural Development, argued that PMGSY roads should be inaugurated by the respective Members of Parliament.
The Congress said that it is the privilege given to MPs by the Ministry of Rural Development to inaugurate PMGSY roads. Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Kerala. He participated in various programmes in Wayanad. He will also be attending programmes in Wayanad on Thursday.
Also read: "My aim is to end hatred in country, Modi needs to be defeated for it," says Rahul Gandhi
