Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan opted not to attend the ceremony.
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially commissioned the Vizhinjam international seaport on Friday, May 2, following which the political battle claiming credit for Vizhinjam port continued in Kerala. The Opposition lashed out against the LDF government for ignoring the role played by former chief minister Oommen Chandy who had initiated the Vizhinjam port project.
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who opted not to attend the ceremony, shared a video of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy’s speech made in the Kerala Assembly on the Vizhinjam port on June 8, 2015.
His Facebook post read, “Oommen Chandy is no longer with us. Yet, he lives on in the hearts of the people as a chapter of history that cannot be erased. Those who deliberately try to forget or rewrite history are the ones who fear even the memories of Oommen Chandy. Wishing all the best to the Vizhinjam Port.”
He accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-led State government of making attempts to erase the legacy of Oommen Chandy.
Satheesan was not included in the original list of invitees for the inauguration event. After the controversy gained traction in the media, the state government sent a formal invitation to Satheesan. He, however, refused to attend the inauguration, stating that the invitation was a mere formality following the uproar. Satheeshan lashed out at the state government, saying the Vijayan government had deliberately excluded him out of fear that he would speak uncomfortable truths about the port’s history and the credit for the project.
However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan credited the achievement to the state government. In a Facebook post on Thursday evening, he wrote; ‘‘As this (LDF) government enters its tenth year, the Vizhinjam International Seaport is set to be commissioned tomorrow as a gift to every Malayali. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating the port to the nation tomorrow (May 2), Kerala is marking its place on the global maritime map.’’
Meanwhile, Congress MLA M. Vincent, who represents the Kovalam constituency that comprises Vizhinjam, visited Oommen Chandy’s grave at Puthuppally in Kottayam on Friday morning and offered floral tributes.
While both fronts are explaining their roles in the port's establishment, the BJP is also taking credit for the active role played by the Prime Minister in realising the state's dream project.
