Visa denial to K.T Jaleel mysterious: Pinarayi
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Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Friday termed the refusal by the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to issue a diplomatic passport to Local Administration and Minority Affairs Minister K T Jaleel to visit Saudi Arabia as “mysterious.”
“It was due to the people’s concern we had decided to send Jaleel to Saudi Arabia,” Pinarayi told reporters.
“The approach of the centre is unfortunate. However, no political aim is seen behind it,” he said.
Jaleel had applied for the diplomatic passport to facilitate the return of migrants stuck in the kingdom after construction firms laid them off.
Jaleel had earlier said he didn’t know why he was denied the diplomatic passport. He claimed it would be “difficult to visit a labour camp with an ordinary passport” as there would be no legal protection.