Fresh row erupts in Kerala over Rahul Gandhi's letter praising Kerala govt's Loka Kerala Sabha

New Delhi: A fresh political controversy has erupted in Kerala over a letter shot off by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lauding the Loka Kerala Sabha, an initiative by the Kerala government to bring Keralites living around the globe under one platform.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan publicised the letter on Thursday, thanking the Wayanad MP for supporting the initiative. Rahul's congratulatory letter put the state Congress unit in an embarrassing position since it had boycotted the event.

In his letter to CM Pinarayi, Rahul said that the Loka Kerala Sabha was the biggest platform for the expatriates.

However, in a quick reaction, Congress rubbished the CPM-led government's claims and accused Chief Minister Pinarayi for misusing an old letter from Rahul. Congress general secretary in charge of organisation, K C Venugopal, said Rahul's letter was only a customary reply to the letter sent by the government to all the MPs from the state.

“The UDF (Congress-led opposition alliance) met after that and decided not to attend the event. Instead of understanding that stance, the chief minister has misused Rahul Gandhi's letter,” Venugopal said. Accusing the CPM of political indecency, Venugopal said Kerala knows how Rahul ran a dignified poll campaign during the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala. Rahul, then Congress president, had made it a point not to attack the Left front in Kerala even as the latter slammed him for contesting from Kerala.

None of the UDF representatives had participated in the Loka Kerala Sabha inaugural meet that was held in the Kerala capital on Wednesday. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and UDF MLAs had resigned from the Loka Kerala Sabha after an expatriate businessman committed suicide, dejected over being denied permission for his convention centre at Anthoor in Kannur.

MoS boycotts event

BJP leader and Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan also boycotted the Loka Kerala Sabha's delegates' meet in protest against the state government passing a resolution challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"Loka Kerala sabha is a massive scam. There was no discussion with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about it. It has become a fundraiser event for the CPM. The decisions taken in the last edition of the meet are yet to be implemented," he said.

There are 351 members in the Loka Kerala Sabha, which is a platform for the cultural, socio-political and economic integration of Non-Resident Keralites.

NRKs from 47 countries and 21 Indian states are part of the second summit. Representatives from 28 states had participated in the first summit last year.