“I had not received any official communication inviting him to the function and termed the move ‘political’ and ‘not befitting a democracy,'” stated P A Mohammed Riyas, the PWD Minister of Kerala, regarding his absence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official event in Kochi on March 11, 2026.

The event, which saw the inauguration of significant development projects including the six-lane expansion of National Highway 66, was overshadowed by a political row stemming from Riyas’s exclusion. Alongside Riyas, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers, including M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, also did not attend.

Rajesh explained his absence, saying, “I am not attending the PM’s programme. Yesterday, I came to know that my name was included in the list. I already have scheduled programmes in my constituency.” This statement reflects the ongoing tensions between the state government and the central administration.

Riyas’s exclusion has been described as “shocking” and “politically motivated” by General Education Minister V Sivankutty, further intensifying the political discourse surrounding the event. The BJP, however, defended the invitation protocol, with leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar asserting, “As head of the state, the CM was invited in accordance with the protocol.”

BJP leaders have claimed that the exclusion of Riyas was unnecessary, with B Gopalakrishnan alleging that the state government was attempting to consolidate Muslim votes by boycotting the Prime Minister’s event.

The National Highway development project, which includes the Thalappady-Chengala stretch of NH 66 and the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass, was revived after the Left Democratic Front government came to power in 2016, highlighting the significance of this initiative for Kerala’s infrastructure.

Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact nature of the communications between the state government and the Prime Minister’s office leading up to the event. The political implications of this incident are likely to unfold in the coming days as both parties navigate the fallout.

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