Lakshadweep Says No To Congress MPs Visit, Cites Unrest, Covid

Congress MPs Hibi Eden, TN Prathpan, CR Rakesh Sharma had sought permission to visit Lakshadweep, which has been seeing widespread unrest since a series of controversial orders by the new Centrally appointed administrator Praful Khoda Patel.

The Lakshadweep administration has refused to grant permission to a group of Congress parliamentarians to visit the islands, saying that according to a police report, it might instigate violent agitations, which is part of planned effort to ruin the peace. Congress MPs Hibi Eden, TN Prathpan, CR Rakesh Sharma had sought permission to visit Lakshadweep, which has been seeing widespread unrest since a series of controversial orders by the new Centrally appointed administrator Praful Khoda Patel. A visit by Congress MPs for political activities will certainly "disturb the calm, peaceful atmosphere" and is against the interest of general public, the Scheduled Tribes, public order and security of the Union Territory. The administration also cited the possibility of a surge in Covid cases with the visit of people from the mainland. "Lakshadweep being a scheduled area and the entire native population being Scheduled Tribes, duty of administration to ensure peace and avoid disturbance due to external interference," the administration said in its response.