Malayalam actor Jayasurya, who was invited as the chief guest at an event organised by the Public Works Department (PWD) on Thursday, December 2, landed in a controversy over his comments criticising the bad condition of roads in Kerala.

“They cite rain as the reason for the bad roads. In that case Cherrapunji will not have roads. People struggle to pay the road tax, so they need to get what they deserve,” Jayasurya said, sparking a row. Media channels flashed the news saying the actor criticised the PWD while being invited as a guest to their function.

Jayasurya started his speech by praising Muhammed Riyas, the PWD Minister. Calling the minister a good listener, the actor said that he has an open mind to accept others’ opinions to make things better. “When I went to Vagamon recently, the road condition was very poor. I called the minister and while I was on the call, he contacted the concerned authorities and gave me a proper explanation. This makes him stand out,” the actor said.

“When people die on the road, who is responsible? Where do people complain?” the actor asked.

However, after it sparked a controversy, the actor took to Facebook two days later to praise the efficiency of the PWD Minister. The actor said that he spoke openly in the event with the permission of the minister. “Minister Muhammed Riyas is sincerely working to bring about change in the state. Before the event I asked him whether I could speak what I felt. He told me I was invited because I would speak what I feel. That was a sincere answer. He has promised to solve all the issues I raised in my speech,” the actor wrote on Facebook.

Commenting on the controversy, Minister Riyas said that everyone has their own opinion and they are free to express it. “A majority of his (Jayasurya’s) speech was supportive of our projects. Then he spoke about Cherrapunji, which is in Meghalaya, where they have only 10,000 km of road; in Kerala we have 3.5 lakh roads,” the Minister said.