Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala shunned the inauguration of the honorary consulate of Sri Lanka here on Wednesday, following a report from ADGP Intelligence to the home department about the questionable antecedents and character of Joemon Joseph Edathala, the newly appointed Honorary Consul.

Chandy was supposed to deliver the inaugural address and Ramesh the keynote address at the event. Nevertheless, minister of state for human resources development Shashi Tharoor, who wrote the forward in a book authored by the honorary consul and is said to be close with the honorary consul currently out on station bail for two criminal cases, used the event to make an election pitch, by waxing eloquent about various projects that he had fulfilled for the state.

“43 ambassadors have visited Thiruvananthapuram during my tenure,” he told a scanty audience, comprising real estate businessmen, before declaring the honorary consulate open and congratulating Joseph for occupying the chair.

However, the seven chairs lined up on stage for politicians like BJP state president V Mulareedharan, CPI state secretary Pannyan Raveendran and K Muraleedharan MLA and others remained vacant. There was a glimmer of hope when CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran showed up early at the event, but was seen quickly exiting the venue when he was made aware of the controversy surrounding Joseph’s appointment.

Tharoor also exited the venue soon after his inaugural address. Asked why he was endorsing someone who is out on bail for a criminal case, he said: “As far as I know, he has not been convicted.” (TNN)