THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre-state spat on the return of expatriates continued on Friday with Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedhran rubbishing reports that the Centre had 'congratulated' the state's initiatives on the matter. Muraleedharan was referring to a letter from a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs in response to the state's revised proposals to contain spread of coronavirus during the return of expatriates.
The Chief Minister's Office had late on Thursday night released the letter written by Sanjay Bhattacharya, Secretary, MEA to the state's Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta. A communique issued from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the Centre has termed the state's initiatives as 'praiseworthy'. The letter was released hours after Muraleedharan launched a scathing attack on the state government, terming its demand for Covid tests in Gulf countries as 'foolish'.
Muraleedharan said the CMO must have misinterpreted a routine official letter sent by the MEA official. He added it was cheap on the part of the CM's PR team to brand the letter as a congratulatory note from the Centre. He also wondered whether the gaffe occurred due to the lack of proficiency in English on the part of CM's PR team.
The Union Minister accused the state of hiding the Centre's earlier letter, written on June 24, in which it had rejected the state's demand for Covid tests in Gulf countries. In response to that letter, the state diluted its demands and instead suggested N95 masks, face shield and hand gloves for expatriates. The MEA official's letter was in response to these revised proposals, Muraleedharan clarified.
Muraleedharan said the MEA official's letter had complimented the state for realising its folly in insisting on Covid tests and for suggesting practical measures instead. "It seems the CM's PR team was not aware of the difference between compliment and congratulation," Muraledharan taunted.
"Covid cannot be contained through PR work. Instead of using the money for PR work, the state should step up testing and bost its quarantine facilities," Muraleedharan advised.
He reminded that Kerala's rate of testing was only 28 per cent when compared to other states. While Kerala tests 372 people among one lakh, the national average is 553. As many as 27 states are ahead of Kerala in terms of the rate of testing for Covid-19, he said.