Rahul skip inauguration of memorial of Kerala Gandhians, state chief apologises

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, was caught in another controversy on Sunday after he skipped a function for inauguration of memorials of two noted Gandhians of Kerala.

Both the Gandhians - Gopinathan Nair and K.E. Maman - are highly respected in the state.

Rahul Gandhi was passing near the Noorul Islam Medical Sciences (NIMS) at Neyyatinkara during his Yatra and the organisers of the Kerala leg of the journey had agreed that he would inaugurate the memorials of the two Gandhians, constructed at the hospital building. The hospital had taken care of both the Gandhians in their medical emergencies.

While Gandhi passed in front of the NIMS hospital, he did not stop to inaugurate the memorials.

This led to controversy as families and friends of both the Gandhians, including the wife of late Gopinathan Nair, were waiting at the hospital premises for the function.

Congress's state unit President K. Sudhakaran later apologised for the goof-up and promised the NIMS Managing Director that a separate function would be organised for the inauguration.

MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Gandhi for skipping the event, saying: "Such things affect the credibility."