Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake his first visit to Kerala from today. Soon after his arrival at Kochi this afternoon, his first to the state after assuming office as Prime Minister, he will leave for Thrissur to address a public meeting of BJP workers this evening. A government press release said that after the meeting, Mr Modi will return to Kochi and stay there. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Combined Tri services commanders conference at INS Vikramaditya, the largest aircraft carrier of the country at Kochi tomorrow. <br/>He will also unveil the statue of former Kerala Chief Minister late R Sankar, a well known leader of the Ezhava community, who had headed the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, SNDP and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. However, the programme has run into controversy with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy allegedly being asked to stay away from the function by SNDP General Secretary Vellapally Natesan. In a press note, Mr Chandy said, he would not be attending the function as Mr Natesan had requested him not to attend. <br/>Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi has described the action as pettiness of the worst kind. He said, it is an insult of the Constitutional position of a Chief Minister. He said, Prime Minister should respond and should even refuse to go himself to the function.