Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor has weighed in on the Kerala government's decision to appoint a foreign secretary in the state, calling it "fairly unusual" but noted that the bureaucrat has no foreign relationship responsibility of her own.
The Kerala government issued an order on July 15 giving senior IAS officer K Vasuki an additional charge of "matters concerning external cooperation".
"The Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, New Delhi will support the officer in the matters of External Co-operation, to liaise with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions and Embassies etc," the order said.
BJP state president K Surendran termed the move a "blatant overreach" and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution.
He wrote on X: “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 our Constitution. 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?”
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 with our Embassies abroad for matters involving their residents," he told news agency 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.
