While Modi unveils Sankar's statue in Kollam, Congressmen, including Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala will be attending the prayer meeting at the same time in Thiruvananthapuran, KPCC President, V M Sudheeran, said here today.
The Kerala Students Union, student wing of Congress, will also be protesting by waiving black flags and wearing black band on their mouths as a mark of protest, its state president V S Joy said in Kozhikode.
Meanwhile, Vellapally Natesan, General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalanayogam (SNDP), organisers of the programme said it was not a government function and hence there were no issues of protocol.
BJP's state President V Muraleedharan said the Prime Minister had no objection to Chandy attending the function.
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A controversy had erupted yesterday over the decision of SNDP, an organisation of backward Ezhava community, to exclude Chandy from attending the function.
Chandy had said though he should have been present at the function being attended by the Prime Minister and also because Sankar was a former Chief Minister and KPCC chief, he was forced to take the decision to stay away, following the organisers request.
"Natesan had earlier invited me to preside over the function. But, he later requested me over phone not to attend the function as there is protest from some quarters against this. So I decided to stay away from it and I am deeply saddened because of this," Chandy had said.