Invite Row Casts Shadow Over PM Modi's Kerala Visit; Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers Signal Boycott
Public Works Department Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said such actions were against democratic conventions and his exclusion was deliberate.
Published : March 11, 2026 at 11:12 AM IST
Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh political controversy has erupted ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kerala today (March 11, 2026), intensifying the war of words between the Centre and the State government.
The row was triggered after Public Works Department Minister P A Mohammed Riyas was not invited to the inauguration of two major National Highway projects — the Thalapady–Chengala six-lane stretch and the Kozhikode Bypass six-lane road, both part of National Highway 66.
Inputs suggest that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues, who received invitations, are considering boycotting the event in protest. As the PWD Minister, Riyas would ordinarily be part of official functions related to highway development. Critics allege that his exclusion was deliberate.
Responding to the controversy, the Minister said such actions were against democratic conventions.
"I have not been invited. We don’t insist that every minister must be on stage, but similar incidents have happened before," Riyas said.
He emphasised the State government’s role in executing the project. "Kerala was involved at every level. For the first time in India, a State government spent over ₹5,600 crore on a National Highway project. Including borrowing limits, that figure rises to ₹12,000 crore," he said.
Riyas added that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had repeatedly praised Kerala’s contribution to National Highway development and commended the Chief Minister’s leadership.
“Even National Highways Authority officials have acknowledged the state’s efforts. Everyone knows who worked on this project — let the people judge,” he stated.
Calling his exclusion politically motivated, Riyas pointed out that the BJP state president, who had no role in the project, was invited. “This exposes a political agenda. The public knows who led the highway’s completion. The project had stalled in 2014 and was revived only after this government assumed office in 2016. Excluding the state is an insult to Kerala,” he said, adding that such actions explain why the BJP struggles to gain ground in the state.
He stressed that development events should transcend party politics and include all stakeholders.
Minister Rajesh cites prior commitments
Local-self government and excise Minister M.B. Rajesh said he received the invitation only a day earlier and had prior engagements in his constituency. “It is not possible to cancel scheduled programmes at this stage,” he said.
Prime Minister’s Kerala schedule
Prime Minister Modi will arrive in Kochi on March 11. He is scheduled to land at Cochin International Airport around 11:30 am and proceed by helicopter to the naval base helipad.
At 12:30 pm, he will attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the All Kerala Dheevara Sabha at Marine Drive.
By 1:30 pm, the Prime Minister will reach Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor, to dedicate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth ₹10,800 crore. The visit is positioned as a major push for infrastructure growth in the State and comes amid expectations of the Election Commission announcing Assembly poll dates soon.
Major Development Projects
Refinery Expansion: Foundation stone for a ₹5,500-crore Polypropylene unit at BPCL Kochi Refinery, aimed at boosting domestic polymer production and reducing imports.
Railway Redevelopment: Under the Indian Railways’ Amrit Bharat scheme, renovated stations at Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram, and Changanassery will be dedicated, with a combined project cost of about ₹142 crore.
National Highway Projects: Inauguration of the ₹2,650-crore Thalapady–Chengala six-lane road and the ₹2,140-crore Kozhikode Bypass six-lane road under NH-66.
Other Infrastructure: Projects include electrification of the Shoranur–Nilambur railway line and commissioning of a 50-MW floating solar power project at West Kallada in Kollam district.
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