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Kerala CM thanks Siddaramaiah for his ‘uneventful’ Mangaluru visit

MANGALURU: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has formally thanked his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah for making all necessary security arrangements during his visit to this coastal city on February 25.

It may be recalled that Vishwa Hindu Parishat, Hindu Jagaran Vedike, Bajrang Dal, Sri Ram Sene and BJP had given call for a ’voluntary hartal’ opposing Vijayan’s visit to the city. Mangaluru City and Dakshina Kannada police units had made elaborate security arrangements by deploying over 4,000 policemen to ensure that the harmony rally of CPI(M) that Vijayan addressed went off peacefully without any untoward incident. Vijayan had thanked Siddaramaiah while addressing the mammoth rally on February 25 and on Monday he sent a formal letter from his office to Siddaramaiah.

"I would like to formally thank you for the stance taken by your administration in providing necessary security and logistics support to make my visit and the public events successful and memorable," Vijayan wrote to Siddaramaiah. The RSS and allied organisations had kicked up a controversy by issuing a public statement that Kerala CM will not be allowed to attend the public function in Mangaluru, stated Kerala CM.

"Such a shocking stand taken by these organisations reveals their underlining fascist tenor and is totally against the spirit of democracy which we all cherish and nurture in our country. Though individually me and my political party had defied such threats and taken on such challenges head-on, the present circumstances where I am occupying a constitutionally defined office has posed some limitations in responding to this challenge in the same manner. I am happy to note that Karnataka Government under your leadership has risen to the occasion and determinedly intervened to ensure that the functions could be organized peacefully," Vijayan wrote.