Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan writes to Bengal counterpart over journalist R. Rajagopal's passport dispute

Thiruvananthapuram: A major political controversy has erupted following the reported denial of a passport renewal to veteran journalist and editor R. Rajagopal, prompting top Kerala leaders to intervene. Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari seeking his urgent intervention, while Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has raised serious concerns over the violation of citizens' democratic rights.

In a statement shared on social media, Chief Minister Satheesan confirmed he requested the West Bengal Chief Minister to personally look into the matter with urgency. The intervention follows reports that Rajagopal's passport renewal was put on hold after an adverse verification report was issued by the Kolkata Police. Satheesan expressed hope that the matter would be examined fairly and resolved promptly.

Rajagopal, a prominent Malayali journalist who previously served as the editor of a Kolkata-based national daily, recently discovered he had been removed from the electoral rolls of Kolkata's Ballygunge Assembly constituency during a Special Intensive Revision conducted earlier this year. While the veteran journalist has already challenged this deletion before an appropriate tribunal, the Regional Passport Office subsequently summoned him for verification. However, the appointment was scheduled for July 17, effectively preventing him from traveling to California to attend his daughter's wedding.

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan termed the situation shocking, stating that if a journalist of Rajagopal's stature could face such an ordeal, the plight of ordinary citizens under the electoral roll revision would be far worse. Vijayan alleged that Rajagopal was likely targeted due to his long-standing criticism of the ruling central government. He accused the Centre of using the Special Intensive Revision as a selective tool to disenfranchise citizens and advance a divisive agenda, emphasizing that fundamental civil rights and citizenship cannot be compromised by bureaucratic revision processes.

The passport dispute has united Kerala's political spectrum in concern, drawing sharp criticism from both the ruling UDF and the opposition Left, who have voiced their anxieties over the treatment of the veteran journalist despite their usual political differences.

(Inputs from IANS)