In a sharp reaction to Kerala government’s recent order appointing a senior IAS officer as ‘Foreign Secretary’, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that foreign affairs are the “sole prerogative” of the Centre and added that the state governments should not intrude into matters that are beyond their constitutional jurisdiction.
In an order dated July 15, the Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appointed senior bureaucrat K Vasuki as foreign secretary in matters concerning external cooperation.
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Reacting to the state government’s order, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a media briefing here, said, “Let’s be very clear, the Constitution of India under the Seventh Schedule, List I, which is a Union List, clearly specifies that foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into the relation with any foreign country are the sole prerogative of the Union government.”
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“Foreign affairs is not a concurrent subject and definitely not a State subject. So, our position is that state governments should not intrude into matters that are beyond their constitutional jurisdiction,” the MEA spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government continues to evoke criticism from several quarters for its decision.
“The appointment of an IAS officer as Foreign Secretary in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is a blatant overreach and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution. The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs,” said K. Surendran, BJP’s Kerala unit chief.
“This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM Pinarayi Vijayan trying to establish Kerala as a separate nation,” Surendran asked.
He added that if things continue like this, the chief minister would be asking for a separate consulate and a foreign affairs minister very soon.
“In the larger interest of the country, CM Vijayan should immediately cancel the appointment of Vasuki to the new post as it’s not in tune with national interest,” Surendran said.
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