Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family left the Kochi airport on Monday on a private visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Because of the unofficial nature of the tour, the Chief Minister’s Office has not divulged Mr. Vijayan’s itinerary.
Mr. Vijayan is expected to return to Kerala on May 21. He has yet to name a Cabinet colleague to hold temporary charge in his absence. Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, MP, has questioned the ‘unreasonable secrecy’ surrounding the trip.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said Mr. Vijayan was entitled to private travel like all citizens. However, since Mr. Vijayan was holding high public office, people had a right to know how he financed his 19-day foreign tour.
He asked CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan to clarify whether the party had sanctioned the trip or was in the know about it. BJP State president K. Surendran asked the government to clarify whether the public exchequer underwrote Mr. Vijayan’s travel expenses.
