“The Centre’s stand denying permission to the state minister to travel to Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic passport is mysterious,” he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. On Thursday, the External Affairs ministry had sent an e-mail message denying diplomatic passport to Jaleel. “We cannot accept the Centre’s decision and the union government should rectify this lapse and permit the minister to travel to Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic passport,” he said. Permitting state ministers to travel on a diplomatic passport is a “usual procedure” and the action by the Centre was “condemnable”, he said in a statement here. Kerala Local self-government minister, K T Jaleel, had been deputed by the state government to visit Saudi Arabia for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation there.

Source: Indian Express August 05, 2016 13:52 UTC