Chennai: Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday hit out at BJP's state unit for its remarks that Central ministers were not invited for the Metro Rail launch, saying that Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu was invited at the behest of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa but he could not make it due to an overseas visit.
Industries Minister P Thangamani said the Metro Rail project was a Centre-state initiative, coming under the Union Ministry for Urban Development.
"Therefore it was the desire of Amma (Jayalalithaa) that Venkaiah Naidu should participate in the inaguration. Accordingly, a due invitation was extended to him on June 16, 2015," he said.
However, Naidu said he was on a foreign visit from June 28 to July 11 and insisted that the function be not postponed and be held as planned on June 29, Thangamani said, adding, the Central minister had deputed a Joint Secretary level official of his department to attend the inauguration.
He was responding to BJP state President Tamizhisai Sounderrajan's remarks in a section of the media that Central ministers were not invited for inauguration of the Metro Rail services on Alandur-Koyambedu sector, which was flagged-off by Jayalalithaa yesterday.
In an official statement, Thangamani also slammed Sounderrajan for making such "half-baked" statements.
Safety clearance for starting the services on the route was given early this month and the state government had sought Election Commission's approval to launch the facility since RK Nagar bypoll was scheduled on June 27, he said.
EC had given the go-ahead saying the services can be launched after completion of polling but mandated that no information must be publicised about the same.
"Therefore, though it was decided to launch the Metro Rail services on June 29, no public announcement was made," he added.
