NEW DELHI: On July 25 in New Delhi, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), criticsed the Kerala Government’s appointment of senior bureaucrat K. Vasuki IAS as the ‘Foreign Cooperation Secretary’. Jaiswal stated that foreign affairs fall exclusively under the union government’s jurisdiction according to the Indian Constitution, and thus are not the responsibility of state governments.
Jaiswal pointed out that the Constitution’s 7th Schedule, List 1 – Union List, Item 10, clearly designates foreign affairs and the Union Government’s relations with foreign countries as solely under the Union Government’s authority. This matter is not included in the state or concurrent lists. He emphasised that state governments should not overstep their constitutional boundaries.
The MEA’s disapproval comes in response to Kerala’s appointment of K. Vasuki, currently Secretary in the Department of Labour and Skills Development, as Secretary for External Cooperation. This decision has been met with criticism, with BJP state president K. Surendran calling it unconstitutional and accusing the CPM-led government of trying to create its own foreign secretary position.
Following Jaiswal’s statement, BJP leader P.P. Chaudhury MP also condemned the Kerala Government, stating that it was overstepping its constitutional limits. On the other hand, Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor downplayed the incident, highlighting the state’s role in addressing issues concerning its residents abroad. Tharoor noted that while foreign relations fall under the Union government’s jurisdiction and states do not have independent foreign policies, it is fitting for state governments to handle matters involving their citizens overseas.
Kerala government’s move to appoint an External Cooperation Secretary has sparked significant controversy, drawing sharp rebukes from the MEA and political leaders.
