Thiruvananthapuram: The state government postponed the official reception to honour Olympic medallist and hockey legend P R Sreejesh due to a dispute between ministers V Sivankutty and V Abdurahiman.
The dispute arose with General Education Minister Sivankutty asserting that the responsibility of organising the reception for Sreejesh, who serves as Joint Director in the General Education Department, rested with his department.
On the other hand, Abdurahiman, Minister for Sports, insisted that the Sports Department should organise the reception for the Olympic medallist. As a result of this dispute, the Chief Minister directed that the ceremony be postponed.
The Sports Department had initially planned to host the reception for Sreejesh on Saturday, with the Chief Minister in attendance. However, with the Chief Minister conveying his concern, the department announced that the event would be rescheduled for a later date.
In the meantime, the General Education Department scheduled a reception for Sreejesh on Monday, with confirmation from the Chief Minister regarding his participation. They also planned a celebratory procession in the capital, from Central Stadium to Jimmy George Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Preparations for the event were reviewed during a meeting at the Chief Minister's office, and Minister Sivankutty held a press conference to announce the details.
During the press conference, Sivankutty revealed that the CM would also be presenting appointment orders to the medal-winning athletes from the Jakarta Asian Games—Muhammad Anas, Kunju Muhammad, P U Chithra, V K Vismaya, and V Neena—as Assistant Sports Organisers in the Education Department. However, after Sports Minister Abdurahiman raised his objections with the Chief Minister, it was decided that the event would be postponed indefinitely.
