Ker Assembly passes resolution,says CM ignored during PM visit

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 14 (PTI) In the first of itskind protest, the Kerala Assembly today passed a resolutionalleging that Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan was slightedduring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s recent visit to thestate.

The unusual resolution moved by Law Minister MVijayakumar was approved amid a walkout by Congress-led UDFOpposition after a nearly hour-long heated exchanges betweenthe ruling LDF and Opposition members.

It also decided to apprise the Centre about the state''sresentment over the manner in which the 87-year-old CPI-Mveteran was ignored during Singh''s three-day visit fromFebruary 10.

The matter raised by Anathalavattom Anandan (CPIM)through a submission virtually turned into a debate withAchuthanandan and some of his cabinet colleagues narratingtheir experiences during the Prime Minister''s visit.

Achuthanandan said he was not provided a room at theTaj hotel at Kochi where Singh stayed overnight on arrival onFebruary 10.

LDF members alleged that in an insult to the stateas a whole the Chief Minister''s name was also not inscribed onthe plaque which was unveiled by Singh at the inauguration ofthe International terminal at the airport here.

They also said the media advertisement for theinauguration of Vallarpadam transhipment terminal did nothave the Chief Minister''s picture.

Opposition leader Oommen Chandy said it was veryunfortunate that LDF was converting the Prime Minister''s visitinto a controversy by raking up issues like this and walkedout of the House with UDF members.

Ministers Elamaram Kareem and C Divakaran also narratedtheir experiences when they went to the BrahMos Aerospacefunction here as state''s representatives during Singh visitto the hi-tech unit.

The ministers'' grievance in this regard were voiced byAchuthanandan in the presence of Singh at the airport functionon February 12. The chief minister had also stated that thestate government had been neglected, but it did not take thisseriously as realisation of the projects was more important.