The Opposition Congress on Sunday attacked the Left government in Kerala and alleged that the welcome reception scheduled for Olympian and veteran hockey player P R Sreejesh was cancelled due to an ego clash between two state ministers.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, said the postponing of the felicitation to Sreejesh was an insult to the sports sector.

Earlier, General Education Minister V Sivankutty had informed that the reception which was scheduled for August 26 was cancelled.

"It was an insult to the sports sector that the scheduled reception for the country's respected sportsperson, P R Sreejesh, was postponed due to the ego clash between two ministers," Satheesan said in a statement.

Satheesan said there was a difference of opinion between the General Education Department and the Sports Department which resulted in the postponement of the reception.

"Sreejesh and family have travelled to the state capital to take part in the reception without knowing that the event has been postponed. It amounts to insulting the veteran hockey player," Satheesan said.

The Congress leader asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to tender a public apology to Sreejesh for the insult he faced.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, on Sunday accorded a reception to Sreejesh and his family at the former's residence here.

Sreejesh was part of India's hockey team which won bronze medal in the Paris Olympics recently.

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