The newly sworn in Kerala government led by CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan has been already under attack after the Public Relations Department published full page advertisements in various national newspapers in Delhi on the oath taking ceremony of new ministers.
The advertisements which appeared in most of the English newspapers on Wednesday are estimated to cost over Rs 2.5 crore to the exchequer. This came days after the LDF decided to take a number of cost cutting measures including reducing the number of personal staff of the ministers. The Left front had also said it wouldn't decorate minister's bungalows.
The PRD move has triggered a storm on the social media with several people questioning that under whose direction the department gave the ads which bore the photo of Pinarayi Vijayan even before his swearing in.
The Supreme Court had barred publication of photos of leaders in government advertisements except those of the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, Governors and State Ministers. Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn in as chief minister only on Wednesday evening.
Congress MLA V.T. Balram demanded a detailed report on the expenditure of the advertisements. In a Facebook post, he also questioned the motive behind publishing advertisements in the national capital about the swearing in of the government in Kerala.
