Kerala Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty, on Sunday, accused BJP's R Sreelekha of wrongfully using her authority to implement the "Gujarat and UP model" within just three days of assuming office, following the incident where CPM’s Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth was asked to vacate his office at Sasthamangalam in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sreelekha, who was recently elected from the Sasthamangalam division of the city corporation, had earlier asked Prasanth to vacate his office at the corporation building, which the latter alleged was politically motivated. 

Responding to the allegations, Sreelekha on Sunday said the building belongs to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and that the municipal body has full authority over its use. The former DGP added that she shares a close personal rapport with Prasanth and had approached him in a personal capacity.

Meanwhile, Sivankutty reacted to the incident, calling it "undemocratic and unacceptable." He told the media that, as per the Kerala Government's decision, government institutions, corporation offices, and panchayat offices where space is available are being given to MLAs in the state for some time now.

He added that, without any knowledge of these things, Sreelekha has taken her stand, asking what right she has to do so. He said she was out of line and demanded a public apology from her.

The minister also said that Prasanth pays rent, where it ought to be free, and claimed that he created the offices for corporation councillors across all wards during his time as the Mayor. "These facilities were not in place when I was the Mayor," Sivankutty added.

Sivankutty brushed off the questions on the incident involving eight Congress members in the Mattathur panchayat in Thrissur, who resigned from the party to team up with the BJP in a bid to prevent an LDF majority, saying that in India, the largest number of Chief Ministers and MP's have left the Congress to join the BJP, and said that the public is taking note of this.

Anyone can leave Congress at any time to join the BJP, leading to a loss of faith in the party, he said, adding that the move was not surprising.

R Sreelekha, a retired IPS officer, was the first woman from the State to assume the role and was also the first woman Director General of Police from Kerala. After retiring from the force on December 31, 2020, she joined the BJP last year and was widely considered as the BJP's Mayor nominee in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.