THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union government is learned to have denied permission to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a Gulf tour. Vijayan was scheduled to go on a 15-day Gulf trip from Oct 16. Union ministry of external affairs rejected permission for the CM’s trip without mentioning reasons, it is learned.Vijayan sought clearance for an official visit to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Dammam and Riyadh from Oct 16 to 19. He was supposed to attend functions in Gulf cities on Oct 24 and 25. There were events scheduled in Qatar, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi in the first week of November.Officially, the tour was packaged as an outreach programme by Malayalam Mission. However, the tour was politically more significant in the background of the state heading to an assembly election early next year. Earlier, too, Centre had denied permission for Gulf tours of state ministers, including the chief minister.
