Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan cuts short family trip to 3 countries, returns 2 days early

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan returned two days early from his family trip to three countries. Notably, no high-ranking officials, including the DGP, were present to receive the CM at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, only his security personnel.  

Thiruvananthapuram:  Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family returned after winding up their foreign trip earlier than scheduled. The Chief Minister and his family reached on a Dubai-Thiruvananthapuram Emirates flight by 3 am on Saturday (May 18). He had informed his cabinet that he would be back by Monday (May 20).

The Chief Minister left Kerala from Kochi with his wife Kamala and their grandson on May 6 for a two-week vacation to UAE, Indonesia and Singapore. His daughter Veena Vijayan and her husband State Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas joined him. The CM and Minister informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that the trip was personal and received permission for it. The Chief Minister's son works in the UAE.

Typically, the DGP arrives at the airport to receive the Chief Minister returning from a foreign trip. However, this morning, no one was present to greet the Chief Minister, except for the police officers responsible for his security.

The CM's foreign trip faced criticism from the Congress-led opposition and BJP, who questioned the secrecy of his journey amidst the Lok Sabha polls. The opposition parties have urged the CM to disclose details of the sponsor for his international tour and the source of his income.