politics

Protocol Officer Suspended Over Pinarayi Vijayan's Airport Stranding

Published on: 29 Jun 2026, 06:25 AM

The Kerala government has suspended Kerala House Protocol Officer R Sreekumar pending an inquiry into a lapsed travel arrangement that left Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan stranded at Delhi airport on Saturday.

Mr Vijayan arrived at the New Delhi airport only to learn that the flight his protocol office had booked had already departed. He was forced to wait for several hours before taking a later flight to Kannur.

A preliminary inquiry by Additional Resident Commissioner of Kerala House, Aswathi Sreenivas, found that Mr Sreekumar had failed to properly coordinate with the airline to ensure Mr Vijayan's hassle-free travel.

The Leader of the Opposition's office clarified that Mr Vijayan had not filed any official complaint regarding the delay. The suspension order cites administrative negligence and will remain in effect pending further investigation.

Source: The Hindu

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