Members of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday clashed in the Lok Sabha over the exclusion of Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's function in the state scheduled for Tuesday. The Congress alleged that the prime minister’s constitutional position was being misused for “political vendetta”. However, the Centre denied the claim, with home minister Rajnath Singh saying that the National Democratic Alliance government does not believe in confrontation with any state government, reported PTI.

Later on Monday, Vellappally Natesan, leader of educational organisation Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, which is the organiser of the event, took responsibility for the decision to withdraw Chandy’s invite, Jagran Post reported. “There has been no pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party or anyone else to prevent the chief minister from attending the function,” Natesan said.

Chandy, who will be receiving Modi at Kochi on Monday, had said in a press note that he was “deeply saddened” for being uninvited from the function.