Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 20 (PTI) The BJP in Kerala on Saturday slammed the LDF government for giving an IAS officer additional charge of matters connected with 'External Cooperation', saying that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should not consider the state as an independent country.

BJP state president K Surendran said that appointing IAS officer K Vasuki as a "foreign secretary of the state" was "unconstitutional" and a "flagrant violation of the federal principles".

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Vasuki, who is the Secretary of Labour and Skills Department, was by a government order dated July 15 given the additional charge of "the matters connected with the External Cooperation".

The July 15 order further said that the General Administration (Political) Department will deal with the subjects related to external co-operation and will assist Vasuki till alternate arrangements are made.

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"The Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, New Delhi will support the officer in the matters of External Co-operation, to liaise with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions and Embassies etc," the order said.

In his statement criticising the order, Surendran made a scathing attack on Vijayan saying that if things go forward like this, "the CM will feel that he needs his own consulate and foreign minister".

He said that External Affairs falls in the domain of the Centre and the state government's move to intervene in it sends a bad signal to the country.

The BJP state chief also said that Vijayan was facing allegations of gold smuggling through diplomatic channels and carrying out fund collections abroad.

He questioned whether the "foreign secretary of the state" was appointed to support Vijayan's alleged financial relations in Gulf nations.

Surendran called for immediately revoking the appointment which was destroying the unity and integrity of the nation.

The BJP leader also said that such appointments would only serve to accelerate the collapse of the state which is in severe financial crisis.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)