Kerala minister boycotts opening of Sri Lankan mission

 Thursday, 27 February 2014 

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has reportedly decided not to attend the inaugural of the honorary consulate of Sri Lanka in Kerala today.

The Times of India has reported that Chennithala had decided to play safe after coming to know that the honorary consul of Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram, Joemon Joseph Edathala, is currently out on station bail in a criminal case for beating up a 63-year-old man.

Chennitahala has told the Times of India that he was invited to the function by Joemon Joseph but he won’t attend the event.

Speaking to Times of India, chief minister Oommen Chandy has said he was unaware of the criminal case listed against Joemon Joseph’s name. “I am hearing about this now. I had welcomed the setting up of the Sril Lankan consulate as that will help strengthen bilateral ties and accelerate tourism growth,” he has said. Chandy has said he would look into the allegations against Joemon.

“I understand he is on bail in a criminal case. The normal protocol is that the Kerala home department should have vetted this person, but that was before
I became home minister so I cannot comment on what was done before my time. I was invited to the event, but I won’t attend it. I don’t know who he is and I am anyway planning to leave town by noon after the cabinet meeting,” said Ramesh Chennithala.

BJP state president V Muraleedharan, who was also invited to the event, has said he too has decided to avoid the function.
Joemon Joseph, however, has gone all out to advertise the opening of the consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

The advertisement has stated that chief minister Oommen Chandy, home minister Ramesh Chennithala and Union MoS HRD and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor will attend the event.