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Shashi Tharoor terms Kerala’s ‘foreign secretary’ appointment ‘unusual’. Then explains
The Kerala government has given additional charge of the matters connected with the external cooperation to its Labour and Skills Department Secretary K Vasuki.
Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor on Saturday termed the Kerala government's move to appoint a foreign secretary in the state as "fairly unusual" but noted that the bureaucrat has no foreign relationship responsibility of her own.
The Kerala government issued an order earlier this week giving senior IAS officer K Vasuki an additional charge of “matters concerning external cooperation”.
"Dr. K Vasuki IAS (KL 2008), Secretary, Labour and Skills Department will hold the additional charge of the matters connected with the External Co-operation. The officer will co-ordinate and supervise all the matters in this regard and incidental thereto, in addition to the existing charges," the government order dated July 15 read.
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The order said that the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in the national capital will be supporting Vasuki in matters concerning external cooperation and will liaise with the ministry of external affairs, missions and embassies.
BJP state president K Surendran termed the move a "blatant overreach" and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution. In a social media post on X, Surendran asked whether the chief minister wants to establish Kerala as a "separate nation."
"The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs. This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM @pinarayivijayan trying to establish Keralam as a separate nation?" he said.
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Speaking on the controversy, Shashi Tharoor said it is entirely appropriate for state governments to work without Embassies abroad for matters involving their residents.
“The fact is that foreign relations are controlled by the Union government and no state government has any independent foreign relations but it is entirely appropriate for state governments to work without Embassies abroad for matter involving their residents," he told PTI.
“Now to give a specific responsibility of this nature to one official is fairly unusual. But it is very clearly understood that she has no foreign relationship responsibility of her own but it would be basically through Indian government's bodies,” Tharoor added.
