K.T. Jaleel denied diplomatic passport to travel to Saudi

Thiruvananthapuram: Local Self Government Minister K.T. Jaleel, who was asked by the state government to fly to Saudi Arabia to coordinate efforts with Kerala cultural groups amid reports of hundreds of Keralites in the Gulf kingdom having been rendered jobless and facing a food crisis, Thursday evening said he was denied a diplomatic passport.

Speaking to reporters here, Jaleel said that he is surprised by the turn of events.

"We were expecting to fly out to Saudi Arabia the moment my visit was cleared. When we checked out on the website, we were surprised to see that my application for a diplomatic passport was denied. It's too early to say if there was a political motive behind the denial," he said.

The state cabinet on Wednesday had asked Jaleel and state government official V.J. Baby to fly to Saudi Arabia to meet up with the people of Kerala who are reported to have been holed up in labour camps, many of them being denied salaries and finding it tough to get food and water, following the financial problems being faced by a few Saudi Arabian companies.

Jaleel had planned to arrive first at Jeddah and had already established contact with various Kerala cultural organisations there who were to assist him.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh is in Saudi Arabia to coordinate with Saudi officials to air lift Indians wishing to return.

Meanwhile a source in the know of things said that Jaleel will have no problem in travelling on a normal passport.