Union Minister Suresh Gopi has cancelled all his programmes, which were to be organised by the BJP in various constituencies in Kerala on Friday, as the state is mourning the death of 24 Keralites in Kuwait’s building fire.
Suresh Gopi reached the Kochi international airport and received the mortal remains of the Keralites brought to the airport in an IAF aircraft along with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan.
Speaking to media persons in Kochi, Suresh Gopi said: “I have cancelled all reception programmes on Friday. I will visit the houses of the deceased, as much as possible.”
He said the Kuwait government would find out the reasons for the fire. “We can’t say anything without getting any confirmation from the Kuwait authorities,” the Union Minister said.
Amid criticism against the Central government for denying clearance to state Health Minister Veena George’s visit to Kuwait to coordinate efforts, former Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muralidharan said: “There is no established system of sending state ministers to a foreign country to coordinate relief measures related to a tragedy.”
The state unit of the BJP also came out in support of the Central government’s decision .BJP state president K Surendran said that sending a state minister to Kuwait was not necessary, as all procedures related to the repatriation of the bodies were completed by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday itself.
“Then, why should the Central government unnecessarily send a state minister to coordinate the procedure,” Surendran asked.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Suresh Gopi has appealed to the media to avoid creating a controversy over the matter.