Centre denies permission to Kerala CM to participate in Abu Dhabi investment meet

The Centre stated that the investment meet does not have importance that requires Chief Minister's participation.  

New Delhi: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's four-day trip to UAE that was scheduled between May 7 and 11 has been called off as the Central Government denied permission to attend an investment meet. The Centre stated that the investment meeting does not have an importance that requires Chief Minister's participation.

Now, the Kerala government has planned to send a team of officials for the Abu Dhabi investment meet including Chief Secretary, Tourism and NORKA Secretaries and Venu Rajamani, the government's officer on special duty in Delhi. 

The reception events planned for the Chief Minister in the UAE were also cancelled at the same time it was revealed that the central government would not permit a visit. The reception programmes have been postponed to another day, according to the organisers. Two reception programs were arranged for the Chief Minister who was supposed to arrive in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 7. The programmes were arranged for May 7 in Abu Dhabi and May 10 in Dubai. UAE Minister Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi invited the chief minister on behalf of the government of Abu Dhabi.

The state government had requested approval from the Centre for the Chief Minister's visit to the UAE last month. A letter was sent to the Ministry of External Affairs that contained a personal invitation for the Chief Minister from the UAE's Minister of State for Commerce. The event did not have the significance that necessitates the Chief Minister's participation, according to S Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs, who personally checked these documents provided by the Chief Minister's office.

In addition to the Chief Minister, others who had been invited to speak at the meeting included the PWD Minister PA Muhammad Riyas, the Industries Minister P Rajeev, and the Chief Secretary. However, there is no objection to officials participating, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.