Kozhikode: Union Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam and Poet Satchindanadan, Director of Kerala Literary Festival locked horns on Friday over the organisers keeping out right wing writers and BJP leaders from festival venues.
The BJP leadership was irritated with Satchidanandan's statement that there will not be any space for RSS activists in the discussion forum as they are against democracy and constitution.
Reacting to the comments, Mr Kannanthanam asked that whether such festival were conducted for attending CPM activists only. He also pointed that such festivals and forums were not anyone's monopoly. However, Satchindanandan clarified that the union minister only heard a portion of his speech.
