7 months ago
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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has embarked connected a circuit of the Gulf amid disapproval from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition.
Mr Vijayan’s archetypal halt is Bahrain. He near for the Gulf federation precocious Wednesday (October 15, 2025) nighttime connected a Gulf Air Flight from Thiruvananthapuram.
On October 17, Mr Vijayan volition be a nationalist relation organised by the Bahrain Kerala Samajam.
Mr Vijayan volition showcase the Kerala government’s schemes for the payment of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) astatine the meeting. He volition besides question the assistance of expatriate Malayalis to spur Kerala’s development.
Members of the Lok Kerala Sabha, a State-sponsored inaugural to bring the Malayali diaspora worldwide nether a azygous expansive tent, volition be the meeting. Officials of Norka Roots, a nodal bureau for the payment of the Malayali expatriate community, and the Malayalam Mission volition enactment successful the meeting.
Mr Vijayan volition instrumentality to Kerala connected October 19.
In the adjacent signifier of his Gulf tour, Mr Vijayan volition interact with Keralites and Gulf concern leaders and officials successful Qatar, the UAE and Oman.
Centre removes Saudi from itinerary
After overmuch speculation, the Central authorities had fixed Mr Vijayan authorisation for overseas question connected Tuesday. However, the Central authorities removed Saudi Arabia from Mr Vijayan’s itinerary.
Mr Vijayan appeared sceptical past week astir whether helium would get the Centre’s authorisation for the authoritative visits.
He flagged the perceived “uncertainty” astatine a Cabinet property league connected Monday. When asked whether the Centre would “thwart” his overseas question plans arsenic successful the past, Mr Vijayan said that helium hoped not and signalled optimism.
Election-year governmental stunt: Congress
Congress Meanwhile, the Congress has sought to represent Mr Vijayan’s Gulf sojourn arsenic an election-year governmental stunt. Congress person Cherian Philip alleged that Mr Vijayan was touring the Gulf to rise predetermination funds astatine the behest of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
Mr Philip said the authorities had dipped into the “cash-strapped State treasury” to money the Chief Minister’s “political trip”.
He said NORKA was “a achromatic elephant”. Mr Vijayan’s promises to expatriate Malayalis, including the payment of their families and authorities enactment for section investment, were yet to instrumentality off.
Mr Philip said Mr Vijayan’s “expensive overseas jaunts” had not brought immoderate tangible concern oregon planetary expertise to Kerala. He stated that the NRIs who invested successful Kerala had tally into knotty reddish tape, hostile section bodies and extortionist commercialized national leaders backed by the CPI(M). “Investors are fleeing Kerala”, helium said successful a statement.
Earlier, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph had said Mr Vijayan utilized the Gulf circuit arsenic a pretext to tally distant from the issues bedevilling his government.
Mr Vijayan commenced his circuit astatine a clip erstwhile the UDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had ratcheted up their thoroughfare campaign, accusing the authorities of “giving escaped rein to backstage profiteers and pilferers” successful Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)-controlled temples, chiefly Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.
