Kerala CM undertaken foreign trip with self-funding after approvals: CPI(M)

The ruling CPIM in Kerala on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan embarked on his overseas trip at his own expense after getting requisite permissions from the party and the central government.CPIM state secretary M V Govindan said that Vijayan actually took a break after the intense Lok Sabha poll campaigning in Kerala and decided to travel abroad with his family.He Vijayan is required to take permission from the Centre and the party before travelling abroad.

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan embarked on his overseas trip at his own expense after getting requisite permissions from the party and the central government.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that Vijayan actually took a break after the intense Lok Sabha poll campaigning in Kerala and decided to travel abroad with his family.

''He (Vijayan) is required to take permission from the Centre and the party before travelling abroad. He did that. He is also travelling at his own expense. However, it was turned into a huge controversy by some media groups and political parties as if it had happened for the first time ever.

''The reason behind such a move was an anti-communist and anti-Left stand as well as political antagonism,'' Govindan said at a press conference held here.

He also refuted the Congress allegation that the CM's absence was a deliberate strategy to avoid campaigning against the BJP amid the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the country.

Govindan said that the party had decided who would be its star campaigners and where all they should campaign.

''There was no decision that the CM should go outside the state for campaigning,'' he said.

The CPI(M) state secretary said that the Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan claimed that Vijayan left Kerala when it was reeling under heat wave conditions, when the fact was that the CM held a meeting and issued directions to deal with the hot weather before he embarked on his trip.

Govindan also said that the CM need not hand over his responsibilities to anyone when going abroad as he can discharge his duties sitting anywhere in the world.

This was in response to Satheesan's question about who will take policy decisions in the absence of the CM.

''Why didn't he hand over his charge to anyone in the cabinet? Is there no one in the cabinet he can entrust his responsibilities to,'' Satheesan had asked.

Vijayan and his family embarked on an over-two-week long trip to various foreign destinations from the international airport in Kochi on Monday.

His surprise foreign tour has sparked a political storm in the state with the BJP and the Congress raising questions about the expenses and its timing.

The opposition parties have urged Vijayan to disclose details of his sponsor for the international tour and his source of income.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)