Minister Sivankutty welcomes PM Modi to 'developed Nemom', BJP hits back
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow here for April 9 Assembly elections, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty and BJP state leadership on Saturday locked horns on social media over development issues.
Sivankutty, LDF candidate from Nemom, in a Facebook post welcomed Modi for the roadshow in the constituency later in the day and highlighted a series of development projects.
The BJP state unit took a swipe at the minister through another Facebook post sarcastically questioning his claims.
In the FB post, Sivankutty said he was happy that the Prime Minister would conduct a roadshow from Killipalam junction towards Pappanamcode, as it would provide an opportunity to witness the development initiatives carried out in Nemom.
The senior CPI(M) leader is also the sitting MLA in Nemom, one of the constituencies where BJP pins its hopes the most in the upcoming Assembly polls.
The minister invited PM Modi to witness what he described as a "developed Nemom".
He listed several projects along the proposed route of the PM's scheduled roadshow, including a newly established ITI at Chala built at a cost of Rs 18 crore and the state office of SSK, which he said was constructed by the Kerala government after alleged denial of central assistance.
The minister further pointed to infrastructure such as the Deputy Director of Education's office complex, and a new building for Chala school constructed at a cost of Rs 4.8 crore.
He also highlighted road development and beautification works from Karamana junction to Pravachambalam, undertaken at a cost of Rs 5 crore, along with new street lighting installations.
Sivankutty said additional projects included multi-storey school buildings at various institutions, road upgradation works, and a career development centre built at a cost of Rs 6 crore.
While welcoming the Prime Minister, Sivankutty also urged him to explain the delay in disbursing Rs 1,500 crore allegedly due to Kerala under the SSK scheme, stating that the funds are meant for supporting children from economically weaker and marginalised sections.
He further claimed that salaries of around 7,000 teaching and non-teaching staff under the scheme are currently being paid by the state government.
In its social media post, the BJP's state leadership responded sarcastically to Sivankutty's claims of development by listing a series of prominent landmarks in and around Thiruvananthapuram, suggesting that the PM could see them by simply turning in different directions.
"Turn a little to the right and you can see the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Go straight from there and you will see the Vizhinjam seaport. Turn left and you can see the Thumba rocket launch centre. From there, if you go straight, you will reach Thiruvananthapuram railway station. Turn right and you will see the Padmanabhaswamy temple," it said.
"Go straight and you will reach Kovalam international beach. And if you look up from there, you can see the sky," the post said in Malayalam.
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3 Indians injured after fire breaks out in UAE's Fujairah due to drone attack
Dubai (PTI): Three Indian nationals were injured on Monday after a fire broke out on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone (FOIZ) in the UAE following a drone strike originating from Iran, according to local media reports.
The relevant authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah confirmed that a fire has broken out in the FOIZ, resulting from a drone attack coming from Iran, the state-run WAM news agency reported.
Fujairah Civil Defence teams immediately responded to the incident and are continuing efforts to bring the fire under control, it added.
Three Indian nationals sustained moderate injuries after the fire broke out on the FOIZ, the Khaleej Times reported, quoting authorities in Fujairah.
The injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, it added.
In a post on X, the UAE's Ministry of Defence said that Iran launched four missiles toward various areas across the country. "Three were successfully engaged over the country's territorial waters, while one fell into the sea," it said.
The ministry urged the public to comply with all public safety procedures when warning messages are issued to the public.
Authorities have urged the public not to circulate rumours and to rely only on official sources for information, Gulf News reported.
