Thiruvanthapuram/New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Monday alleged that he was denied an opportunity to offer floral tributes at the samadhi of NSS founder Mannath Padmanabhan in Kottayam before assuming office in 2022.
The Nair Service Society is a prominent organisation of the Nair community in Kerala, and Mannath Padmanabhan is widely regarded as a leading social reformer respected across caste and religious lines.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Mannam Jayanti celebrations organised by the NSS Karayogam (unit) in Delhi, Bose made a veiled reference to NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair, saying he had not gone to Perunna to meet any “gatekeeper”.
A bureaucrat-turned governor, Bose said he had a long association with the NSS and described himself as a “Karayogam man”.
Recalling the incident, he said he had sought an appointment with the NSS general secretary to offer floral tributes at Mannath Padmanabhan’s samadhi before taking charge as governor.
“He came to my car, opened the door, received me, offered me tea, spoke to me, put me back in the car and sent me away. But the matter of offering floral tributes at the samadhi was never mentioned. Don’t I have the right to offer flowers at the samadhi?” Bose said.
Questioning the alleged denial, he asked whether every person born into the Nair community had the right to visit the samadhi and whether such a right could be the monopoly of any individual.
Stating that he had not gone to Perunna to meet any “gatekeeper”, the governor also proposed the construction of a memorial for Mannath Padmanabhan in New Delhi and said he was ready to donate one month’s salary for the project.
Following Bose’s remarks, NSS General Secretary Sukumaran Nair issued a clarification, rejecting the allegations.
“No such incident has occurred. He came here and met me, but he was never denied permission to offer floral tributes at the samadhi,” Nair told a television channel, adding that the Governor may have made the remarks without much thought.
However, M R Unni, former education secretary of the NSS, questioned Sukumaran Nair’s statement and alleged that it was incorrect.
Speaking to a television channel, Unni said he was present at the NSS headquarters on the day Bose visited and that it was widely known that the governor had come to offer floral tributes at the samadhi.
Unni alleged that he was informed by another office-bearer that Sukumaran Nair did not permit the offering of floral tributes, citing a rule that such tributes were allowed only on the founder’s Jayanti and samadhi days.
He further alleged that exceptions were made for favoured individuals. PTI COR LGK SSK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.