Factional rivalry?

At a government-sponsored seminar, the last thing you expect to hear is an official ripping into government policy. Yet that’s precisely what Kerala’s Principal Secretary (Industries) T Balakrishnan did the other day. In the presence of Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem, he said the closure of the Coca-Cola plant in Plachimada was a painful experience and that he was proud of the fact that he ensured the Pepsi Cola unit there did not shut down. He went on to add that the Tatas got a red carpet welcome everywhere in the country except for Kerala. While the minister was quick to add that this was the bureaucrat’s personal opinion, it set tongues wagging: Was this part of the famous factional rivalry in the state?