Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday weighed in on the escalating situation in the Middle East between Iran and Israel, saying that the latter is setting the stage for a an all-out war in the Middle East with its actions. The Kerala CM, who heads a state with a large number of expats living in the Middle East, urged all of them to adhere to instructions issued by the ministry of external affairs.
“I urge all expatriate Malayalis living in conflict zones to closely follow the advisories and safety instructions issued by the ministry of external affairs and NORKA Roots,” he said addressing a press conference.
Further, branding Israel’s “aggressive” action as signs of “Imperialism,” the Kerala CM said Israel was not ready to yield to public opinion to resolve the situation in the Middle East, which has witnessed a new wave of conflicts since October 7 after Hamas hit Israel.
“They are unwilling to heed global public opinion, and despite a resolution from the UN General Assembly demanding a de-escalation”.
“The stance Israel has taken in this region is highly condemnable,” he added.
He also alleged that the Nato alliance led by US continues to support Israel’s “atrocities in Palestine” despite a global clamor to bring peace to the region.
“Imperialism is once again setting the stage for another war in the Middle East,” he said.
The tensions in West Asia went up multiple notches on Tuesday night after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel.
Pinarayi Vijan also alleged that the Centre of not doing enough to support the southern state in the wake of the Wayanad landslide disaster. CM Vijayan claimed that he had hoped for significant support from the central government, but so far, no such substantial assistance has been provided.
“The state has suffered a huge loss due to the Wayanad disaster. We had hoped for significant support from the central government, but so far, no such substantial assistance has been provided. We requested an emergency relief fund of Rs 291 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund, in addition to the usual central share. Of the Rs 291 crore, Rs 145.6 crore had been previously sanctioned. However, this is a routine procedure and not specific disaster-related aid,” he said.
“The matter was discussed in the Cabinet meeting, and it was decided to once again urge the central government to release the required aid as quickly as possible,” he added.
A series of landslides in Wayanad were triggered by torrential rainfall that killed hundreds of people in the state.
