Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain (Photo | Facebook)
KOCHI: President Ram Nath Kovind's visit here triggered an unseemly controversy, with Mayor Soumini Jain shooting off a letter to Kovind alleging breach of protocol. She has also demanded a probe into the circumstances resulting in the omission, which she termed an affront to Kochiites.
Jain said she was denied an audience with the President when he arrived at the Naval Base on Tuesday morning. The Mayor said neither the Protocol Officer nor the district administration had formally conveyed news of the President's arrival here.
" I was denied the opportunity to call on you during your recent visit to Kochi following the failure to follow protocol. It is highly unfortunate the Mayor was not invited to be a part of the august gathering during the visit of the Honourable President of India," said the letter, a copy of which is with Express. " It has been the tradition all along and is also mandatory the Mayor ought to be invited to 'receive his excellency(the President) on his arrival and also to the function to mark the departure of his excellency from the city," the missive says.
Jain also alleged the incident is the latest in a series of similar happenings which occurred during the VVIP visits to the city. "I believe my name was deliberately left out of the list. It is indeed an insult to the people of Kochi as I represent the city's entire population. The government should announce a probe into this," the Mayor told Express. The Mayor also sought time from the President to personally convey the city's greetings.
