The Central government has purportedly rejected Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s contention that prior consent of the Union Ministry of External Affairs is not required to meet the representative of a foreign potentate.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) said the Central government had clarified its stance in reply to a question raised in Parliament by Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader N.K. Premachandran.
Mr. Premachandran had raised the subject following allegations that Mr. Vijayan had interacted with the consul general of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, allegedly behind the back of the Central government. Earlier, the UAE gold accused case suspect Swapna Suresh had raised a similar accusation.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the Centre’s reply had added more ambiguity to the Chief Minister’s transactions with the diplomatic mission during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) administration.
