Congress president Sonia Gandhi inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology (RIT) in Kottayam on Wednesday, December 30, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
Kerala BJP today alleged protocol breach in the inauguration of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology at Pambady in Kottayam, attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
In a Facebook post, state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan claimed "the inaugural address by Sonia Gandhi, placing her above CM is definitely breach of protocol and an insult to Kerala."
He also took a dig at Mr Chandy saying "the chief minister made a protocol issue over a private function involving the Prime Minister. Isn't he breaching every protocol in the government college programme today?"
The newly-appointed BJP chief was referring to the controversy over the exclusion of Mr Chandy from the unveiling of statue of former state Chief Minister R Sankar at Kollam recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr Rajasekharan also asked "isn't it an insult to the state that a higher education institute is being inaugurated by an accused in a corruption case? Is it not giving a wrong message to the students?"
He also criticised CPI(M) for remaining "silent" over the issue.
Meanwhile, in an apparent reply to the state BJP chief, Mr Chandy said at the inauguration of RIT that it was the wish of the local people that the institute should be dedicated to the country by Ms Sonia Gandhi herself.
He said when the plan was first mooted in 1991, local people, irrespective of politics, had placed only one condition that it should be inaugurated by Ms Sonia Gandhi.
Mr Chandy also said though the programme was scheduled two times earlier, it had to be cancelled due to some reasons.