Kerala MP not to attend R-Day as Brazilian Prez the Chief Guest

Slamming the invitation to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as the Chief Guest at the national Republic Day celebrations here, Rajya Sabha member and senior CPI leader Binoy Viswam on Friday declined the government's invitation to attend the official ceremony on Sunday.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Viswam said that government had invited Bolsonaro even as his ideaology and policies are tarnished by bigotry, misogyny, homophobia and discrimination.

"His actions in Brazil and at the global stage are directly against the very ethos of the Indian Constitution that we celebrate on Republic Day," he wrote.

Viswam expressed dismay over the government move and reminded the PM that the same Brazilian President had sought actions against India in the WTO for providing aid to struggling sugarcane farmers in the country.

"His actions are a direct threat to the livelihood for over 5 crore sugarcane farming families in India and your invitation to him signals a complete disregard for your own citizen and their flight," Viswan wrote to the PM.IANS