Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is above frivolous politics and cannot be expected to respond to the ‘Somalia’ controversy in Kerala.

He told reporters that the Prime Minister had been statesman-like and would rather busy himself with charting a development course for the State.

“He is not ready to reply to such baseless charges,” Kumar said when asked why Modi had not clarified on his ‘Somalia comment’ made while addressing a poll rally in Thiruvananthapuram.

Modi had said infant mortality among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala was worse than that in impoverished Somalia. This invited widespread condemnation with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy demanding that Modi apologise when he spoke in Kerala next. Modi addressed a rally in Ernakulam on Wednesday but made no mention of the comment.

‘Lies to deflect attention’

Kumar accused Chandy of spreading ‘blatant lies’ against Modi in order to divert public attention from key issues confronting the State. As many as 45 lakh educated persons have their names registered in employment exchanges and awaiting their turn.

The Kochi metro project was initiated during the Vajpayee government’s tenure and had been limping all along.

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