Centre denies Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan permission to visit Gulf nations

New Delhi: The central government has denied permission for Kerala Chief Minister’s planned tour of Gulf countries, officials said. The decision, communicated through the Ministry of External Affairs, came without specifying a reason, according to media reports.

The state government received an official notification denying approval for the trip, which was intended to take place in multiple phases. Minister Saji Cherian was also expected to accompany the Chief Minister.

The tour was scheduled to begin in Bahrain on October 16, with a public programme at the Bahrain Keraliya Samajam that evening. The visit aimed to showcase the Left government’s initiatives and new projects for expatriates, and to participate in NORKA and Malayalam Mission programmes.

The Chief Minister was scheduled to travel from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, with public events planned in Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh on October 17, 18 and 19 respectively. Meetings were also lined up in Muscat and Salalah, Oman, on  October 24 and 25.

The tour was set to continue with a visit to Qatar on October 30, followed by events in Kuwait on November 7 and Abu Dhabi on November 9.