Kerala has nothing to learn from Gujarat: Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 (IANS) Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday said Kerala has nothing to learn from Gujarat, as the state has its own "model of development". The comment came while Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the state.

"The Kerala model of development is one that is accepted worldwide and we do not have anything to learn from Gujarat. Just look at our standards of public health and the education standards that we have achieved," Chandy said, while speaking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.

Chandy was faced with a volley of questions, as one as his cabinet colleagues, Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John, had visited Gujarat last week and met Narendra Modi.

"All the confusion has been cleared. John told me that he had gone to Gujarat to visit the National Institute of Design and there was a wrong report that he went to study the Gujarat model of development," Chandy said.

Reporters pointed out that Chandy had also engaged in a conversation with the Gujarat chief minister at a recent meeting in Delhi.

"Yes, we exchanged a few words," Chandy said, bemused.

When it was pointed out that Modi was visiting Kerala, and was, at the time, in the capital district, Chandy said: "Yes, all the things that have to be done when a chief minister of another state visits have been done. There is nothing to worry about."

Modi is in the capital district to take part in the Sivagiri Mutt's silver jubilee celebrations Wednesday evening, and will return to Gujarat by a chartered flight soon after the function.

The Mutt is the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, established by Sree Narayana Guru, who propagated the concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M top brass got together at a protest meeting organised by its youth wing in front of the state secretariat, opposing Modi's visit to the state.

"The visit of Modi here is a black day in the history of secular Kerala," a former minister and top CPI-M leader, M. Vijayakumar said.

Modi arrived by a special plane amid tight security. Without uttering a word to media persons who were waiting to ask him questions, he drove to the Mutt, located about 45 km from the state capital.