Author: A M Jigeesh
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 19, 2007
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/21249.html
An invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi by the Kerala state unit of the RSS to participate in the Vishala Hindu
Mahasammelan in Thiruvananthapuram on January 29 is threatening to snowball
into a controversy with some Muslim organisations and a section in the Left
pressurising the LDF government to deny Modi entry into Kerala.
Modi is understood to have given his consent
to participate in the programme, although the Kerala government has not got
any formal intimation from the Gujarat government on his visit yet.
Officials from the Gujarat CM's office on
Thursday asserted that he would be visiting Kerala this monthend. A senior
RSS functionary in Thiruvananthapuram also asserted that Modi was participating.
"The function is part of the ongoing Guru Jayanti celebrations. Modi
has agreed to attend," he said.
The LDF regime led by Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan
is in a wait-and-watch mode, even as posters have started appearing in the
state decrying Modi's impending visit and asking the government to block his
entry in Kerala "for what he did during Gujarat genocide".
Kerala government managers on Thursday said
they would take a view once a formal intimation came from Gujarat. "The
Cabinet and the CPI(M) is yet to discuss the matter," Kerala Education
Minister and CPI(M) central committee member M A Baby said. Asked whether
the government would heed to the demands not to allow Modi into Kerala, Baby
said: "If Modi is coming to fan up communal passions, we are not going
to allow it. But he is a CM and he is supposed to let us know his plans in
the state through proper channels. We are yet to get any information from
the Gujarat government."
A somewhat similar incident had taken place
in the state earlier during the UDF government when strong protests against
an impending visit by VHP leader Praveen Togadia forced him to change his
plans. RSS functionaries, however, pointed out that an elected CM could not
be stopped from visiting another state.
