Kerala

Ousted from Congress for praising PM, AP Abdullakutty meets Modi

Written by : Saritha S Balan

Kerala politician AP Abdullakutty, who was recently ousted from the Congress, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. His meeting comes amidst speculation that he would join the BJP.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Abdullakutty said that the PM has asked to him join BJP."I had come to meet him to offer my support for his developmental activities," Abdullakutty said. He also reportedly briefed the PM of his Yoga Day activities.

Abdullakutty was sacked from Congress on June 3 for lavishing praise on PM Modi following the BJP’s landslide victory in the elections. Though the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had given him five days to explain his remarks that he had put on Facebook, he failed to come out with an explanation.

On the contrary, he told media persons that he had not received any intimation from the party demanding an explanation and sarcastically added that Congress leaders did not know his house address in Kannur.

In the post, Abdullakutty had said that Modi follows the Gandhian model of development.

The KPCC had set up a commission to probe the matter, sending a letter to Abdullakutty asking him to explain his remarks. But he was expelled as he did not explain his stand.

AP Abdullakutty had risen to prominence after he defeated Congress’s strong leader Mullappally Ramachandran, who is presently the KPCC President in the 1999 Lok Sabha Elections in Kannur.

Abdullakutty repeated the feat in the 2004 elections as well. He had represented the CPI(M) in both the elections.

He was expelled from the CPI(M) in 2009 after he showered praise on Modi, who was then the Gujarat Chief Minister. He soon joined the Congress.

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