Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday dismissed reports that he had ignored KSU state president Aloshious Xavier and asserted that no one had ever been denied permission to meet him at the CMO.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting here, Satheesan said thousands of people meet him every day and no one has so far been refused an appointment.
"Anyone can come and meet me. Thousands of people meet me every day. The Chief Minister's Office has never denied permission to anyone. Such reports should not be spread," he said.
Responding to reports that he had ignored Xavier during a recent function at Sacred Heart College at Thevara in Kochi, the CM said he had not seen the KSU leader as he was in a hurry to attend a meeting with the Prime Minister.
"I did not see him (Xavier). I was rushing to attend an online meeting with the Prime Minister. He (KSU president) is from my hometown," Satheesan said.
He also said the Chief Minister's Office had informed Xavier that he would be available at the Ernakulam Guest House from 10 am to 1 pm on the day of the programme.
Reiterating that no one had been denied an opportunity to meet him, Satheesan said the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress, was part of the party and its representatives had met him and discussed their concerns.
However, Satheesan did not give a direct reply on whether the government would act favourably on the KSU's demand against the appointment of a former Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader as a government pleader.
"They came and met me. I heard them patiently. I explained the government's stand and the reasons behind it," he said.
Satheesan's remarks came amid reports of differences between the government and the KSU over the appointment of a former SFI leader as a government pleader.
The controversy intensified after the chief minister said last week that government pleaders were appointed on the basis of merit and recommendations and that the government would not function under pressure from political or student organisations.
The issue gathered further momentum following reports that Satheesan had ignored Xavier during a college programme in Kochi earlier this week, triggering criticism within Congress circles and on social media.
Amid the controversy, Xavier met Satheesan here on Monday and raised the student body's objections to the appointment.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the KSU leader had said he had conveyed all the organisation's concerns to Satheesan and was satisfied with the discussion.
