Kochi metro inauguration: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, Ramesh Chennithala to share dais with PM Modi

Kochi: Acting on Kerala government's request, the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday informed Kerala CMO that names of Opposition leader leader Ramesh Chennithala and "Metro Man" E Sreedharan, have been included for Kochi metro inauguration.

The Kerala government had sent a letter to Prime Minister's Office yesterday requesting to include their names.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday travel on a Kochi Metro train when he inaugurates Kerala`s first metro.

There was a hullabaloo after the names of Sreedharan and some key personalities were missing from the list of dignitaries who would share the stage with the Prime Minister during the Kochi Metro inauguration on June 17.

The state government yesterday asked the PMO to accommodate three more dignitaries, including DMRC Principal Advisor, E Sreedharan, popularly known as the 'metro man' on the dais of the metro project during the inaugural function.

A letter in this regard was sent by Chief Secretary Nalini Netto in the wake of a controversy over omission of key personalities, including Sreedharan, who was associated with the project from the beginning, from the dais.

Earlier today, Sreedharan said he was not disappointed with his name missing from the list of dignitaries who will share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Kochi Metro inauguration on June 17.

Sreedharan, who is the principal advisor for the Kochi Metro project, urged everyone not to rake up the issue.

While speaking to the mediapersons he said, "Don't make it into controversy, security of PM is important, must follow what security agency says, adding that he was not disappointed with his name being excluded.