Foreign affairs ministry denies permission to CM to go abroad

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Ministry of External Affairs has denied permission to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's request for a three-week long visit to the Gulf. The state government has got a notification in this regard. However, the reason for it has not been clarified. It is also not clear whether an explanation will be given later in this regard.

The visit was scheduled from October 16 to November 9. The reports that came earlier said the team will first visit Bahrain on October 16th, Dammam in Saudi Arabia on 17th, , Jeddah on 18th and Riyadh on 19th. The team will then visit Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi on October 24th and 25th. They had also decided to participate in programmes related to the Malayalam Mission. The earlier decision was that Minister Saji Cherian and members of NORKA director board would accompany him.

It is heard that the visit was planned with the aim of explaining the work done by the Left government for the expatriates and about the new projects. An organizing group was formed under the leadership of expatriate Malayali organizations to receive the chief minister. According to the assessment of expatriate organizations owing allegiance to the UDF, the visit was planned with assembly elections in mind.