A political row erupted in Kerala after United Democratic Front (UDF) MP NK Premachandran had lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MPs belonging to different parties at the Parliament canteen last week.
Premachandran’s presence at the lunch has attracted strong criticism from the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), who alleged the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP’s ‘newfound closeness’ with the Prime Minister and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) is an ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor EP Jayarajan said that RSP’s Premachandran is a part of the UDF alliance and what was the need and meaning of having lunch with PM Modi.
“RSP’s NK Premachandran is part of the UDF alliance. He is one among the eight people whom PM Modi invited for lunch. What does it mean? What is the understanding between BJP and UDF? The Prime Minister did not invite Shashi Tharoor. If the orientation of Lok Sabha was important, then the first person to be invited from UDF is Shashi Tharoor. It is a new relationship with BJP and RSS,” Jayarajan said.
Senior CPI(M) leader and Finance Minister K N Balagopal made fun of Premachandran and said that he might have gone as he was so close to the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Premachandran justified his accepting the invitation from the PMO saying it was a friendly meeting beyond politics.
“It was an unexpected invitation from the PMO. It was just a friendly and casual talk. No political matter ever came up for discussion,” he said.
Premachandran also got the backing of the Congress leadership in Kerala who made it clear that there was nothing wrong in accepting the invitation extended by the Prime Minister.
KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan said the Marxist party was deliberately creating controversies as they had nothing else to say.
“Even when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is politically opposed, the Opposition leader and (UDF) MLAs attend the meeting called by him. Similarly, Premachandran also received an invitation from the Prime Minister’s Office,” Satheesan said.
Other MPs present at the lunch with PM Modi were BJD leader Sasmit Patra, TDP’s K Ram Mohan Naidu, BSP’s Ritesh Pandey and some BJP leaders, including Union minister L Murugan and Heena Gavit.
PM Modi later posted pictures of their meal together and said, “Enjoyed a sumptuous lunch, made even better thanks to the company of parliamentary colleagues from various parties and different parts of India.”