NSS chief reiterates claim of being denied meeting with Kerala CM Satheesan

Published 15 July 2026 · politics

Even as Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan sought to play down his differences with the Nair Service Society (NSS), its general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair has

Even as Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan sought to play down his differences with the Nair Service Society (NSS), its general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair has reiterated his allegation that he had been denied an opportunity to meet the Chief Minister. Addressing the media on Wednesday (July 15), Mr. Nair said he would no longer seek an appointment with the Chief Minister and would instead explore other avenues to resolve the issue that had prompted his request. His response came shortly after Mr. Satheesan, speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, said he had already had a cordial conversation with the NSS leader. Rejecting the Chief Minister’s account, Mr. Nair said he had sought an appointment through the Chief Minister’s private secretary to discuss a government file regarding a legal matter pending with a government department.

”Although the private secretary promised a callback, the Chief Minister contacted me only after six days. He neither enquired about the issue nor offered me a time for a meeting,” Mr. Nair said. He said he contacted the private secretary again two weeks later, but the situation remained unchanged. “The private secretary later told me that I could meet the Chief Minister when he came to Ernakulam. Since the matter concerned a government file, I said the meeting should be held at the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. There was no further communication after that,” he said. Stating that he would not pursue the matter any further, Mr. Nair said he had sought an appointment with the office of the Chief Minister and not with Mr. Satheesan in his personal capacity.

the NSS had never encountered such an experience with previous Chief Ministers. “When calling Pinarayi Vijayan, he answers the phone if he is free. If he is busy, he sends a message and calls back later when he is available,” he added. Nair also criticised Union Minister Suresh Gopi, alleging that his visit to the NSS headquarters on the day of the Aruvikkara byelection had been politically motivated. “Suresh Gopi came here on the day of the Aruvikkara election. The visit had a political purpose. It was intended to create the impression that the NSS was close to the BJP. We allowed him to offer floral tributes at Mannam’s memorial. After that, he walked into the venue where the Budget session was under way,” he said.

Nair further remarked that Mr. Gopi should first “set his own house in order’ by resolving the issues within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).” Drawing a contrast with other constitutional functionaries, Mr. Nair said the NSS had accorded a warm reception to former West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan during their visits.