T’puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday termed the recent attack on an Iranian vessel off the coast of Sri Lanka a matter of serious concern and criticized the Centre’s response to the incident. In a statement, the chief minister said the prevailing tension in the Middle East was alarming and warned that continued military actions by the ‘US-Israeli axis’ and Iran’s counterattacks escalated the situation. He said such developments posed a serious threat to global peace and international stability. Vijayan also condemned the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members, stating that such actions violated international law and the charters of United Nations. Political tensions between countries resulting in such incidents could have dangerous consequences, he said. Referring to the deadly attack on an Iranian warship on March 4 that participated in a joint naval exercise in India on Feb 25, the chief minister described the incident as extremely serious. He criticized the Centre for reportedly stating that the vessel was “not a guest of the country”, calling the response condemnable. Vijayan said the incident near India’s maritime zone amounted to a violation of international norms and warned that attempts to turn Indian Ocean into a battlefield would pose a challenge to regional peace and security. Vijayan added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union govt did not issue a clear response on the matter and termed this approach inappropriate. The chief minister further said the escalating tensions in the Middle East could have repercussions across the Gulf region and affect the safety and wellbeing of millions of Keralite expatriates working there. He urged the Centre to take urgent steps to safeguard the lives and property of the expatriate community, which is closely linked to Kerala’s economy. Vijayan said the state govt closely monitored the situation and initiated coordination and support mechanisms under the leadership of Norka Roots to address issues related to expatriate welfare. Members of Loka Kerala Sabha, various expatriate organizations, prominent individuals and volunteers were involved in relief activities in coordination with Indian embassies in the respective countries, he said. He added that expatriate Malayali organizations extended cooperation to help desks launched by representatives of World Kerala Church in Gulf countries.
