Kochi: Prime minister Narendra Modi was doing what an ideal Christian is ought to do, newly appointed union minister of state Alphons Kannanthanam said at Muvattupuzha on Sunday.

"People ask me why I joined the BJP despite being a Christian. My answer to them is that Modi has been doing whatever a good Christian is supposed to do," he said.

The BJP rule at the Center is aimed at the betterment of crores of poor people in the country, Kannanthanam said, requesting the cooperation of the people of Kerala to bring in good changes in the state as well.

He was speaking at a reception accorded to him by BJP Ernakulam district committee.

Kannanthanam, the MoS in charge of tourism, IT and electronics, said land encroachments in the name of tourism could not be allowed.

He added that it was the state's responsibility to make arrangements to accommodate the large number of tourists thronging places like the scenic hill station of Munnar.

"Removing encroachments from a place like Munnar is the duty of the state government. But, one thing is for sure...encroachments of land in the name of tourism cannot be allowed," Kannanthanam said.

He urged the Kerala government to identify land at places of tourist attraction like Munnar to help private players who are interested in developing tourism infrastructure.

The union minister's statement assumes significance in the wake of the Kerala BJP's charges that land encroachments in Munnar were done with the support of local MLAs, MPs and politicians from both the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), headed by the Congress.

A BJP delegation, led by the party's Kerala unit chief, Kummanam Rajasekharan, had earlier informed union home minister Rajnath Singh that the hill station "may witness an Uttarakhand-like disaster" if encroachments and illegal constructions on its fragile land were not stopped.

Earlier, Kannanthanam told reporters at the Cochin International Airport, where he was accorded a warm welcome by the state BJP leaders, that the Narendra Modi government at the Center had vowed to work with all the state governments, including the LDF regime in Kerala, to do "big things" for the states and the country.

To a query on his statement on beef, the minister said he had already made his stand clear on the issue.

"In a democracy, people have the right to make their choices," Kannanthanam said.

On his first day in office on September 4, the minister had touched upon the contentious issue of beef, saying it would continue to be consumed in Kerala.

He claimed that the BJP had never said beef could not be eaten.

Kannanthanam, on his first visit to Kerala after becoming a Union minister, said the Modi government wanted to forge a good relation with all the states and added that he would work with all the state governments to fulfill the prime minister's dream of leading them on to the path of development.

Recalling his "personal relations" with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kannanthanam hoped that it would help him deliver good things for the state.

Flanked by Kummanam, former Kerala BJP chief V Muraleedharan and former union minister P C Thomas, he said, "All of us are ready to work together and do big things for the development of the country and the states."

Rajasekharan dismissed reports that Kerala BJP leaders were upset with the party's decision to offer a ministerial berth to Kannanthanam as "baseless" and said the leaders and workers of the party had, instead, welcomed the move.

"The central leadership of the party decides on such issues. All BJP workers have welcomed its decision," he added.

A bureaucrat-turned-politician, Kannanthanam, a BJP national executive member, is the first person from Kerala to become a minister in the Modi government.

Programs canceled

However, the grand reception programs planned by the Kerala BJP unit for the newly inducted minister of state had to be changed as the MoS got a call back from New Delhi.

The functions had to be changed as Kannanthanam had to take part in the first meeting of the union ministers after the major rejig on September 3. Therefore all the programs scheduled for September 12 and 13 in Kottayam have been canceled. Kannanthanam was to participate in the Sree Krishna Jayanthi celebrations at Kottayam on Tuesday.

However, Sunday's functions in Kottayam and Muvattupuzha were held as per the schedule.



Kannanthanam, who leaves for Delhi Sunday evening, will return on September 15. The public function scheduled at Kanjirappally on September 15 will be held as per the schedule. A reception has also been organized for Kannanthanam in the state capital on September 16 before he leaves for New Delhi.

VS flays Kannanthanam

Meanwhile, veteran CPM leader V.S. Achuthanandan has said there was nothing praise-worthy in Kannanthanam's elevation to Modi's council of ministers.

"By joining the BJP ministry, Kannanthanam has joined hands with the fascist forces," the administration reforms committee chairman said.

Pointing out that Kannanthanam who won the Kanjirappally assembly seat with the Left backing in 2006 had later moved to BJP, VS said that the LDF should be more careful while choosing their candidates.

However, Kannanthanam downplayed the former CM's comments and said that nonagenarian's words need not be taken seriously.

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