Kerala Opposes Denial of Minister's Kuwait Visit for Fire Relief

The Kerala opposition criticizes the Centre for denying state Health Minister Veena George's travel to Kuwait to coordinate relief efforts for Malayalees affected by a tragic fire. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan termed the refusal 'unfortunate', stressing the importance of state representation in the relief operations.

In a pointed critique, the opposition Congress in Kerala condemned the Centre's decision to deny permission to state Health Minister Veena George to visit Kuwait. George planned to coordinate relief efforts for Malayalees impacted by a devastating fire in the Gulf nation.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan labeled the move as ‘unfortunate’, emphasizing that a representative from the state could have significantly enhanced the coordination of relief efforts. Satheesan argued this representation would have aided both state and Union government activities.

On Thursday night, George expressed her disappointment, stating, 'What we sought from the Central government was permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied.' She reportedly waited at the airport for hours, hoping for clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs. The tragic fire, which occurred in Kuwait's Al-Mangaf building, claimed 49 lives, with 42 of them being Indian nationals.