Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed that the group of High Court judges and MLAs from the state on a trip to the Jammu and Kashmir are safe amid reports of 26 deaths in the terrorists attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday.
It is reported citing CMO that Justices Anil K Narendran, PG Ajithkumar and G Girish, on a trip to the region, were not in the ‘immediate vicinity’ of the attack and would return to Kerala on Thursday, India Today reported.
MLAs M Mukesh, KPA Majeed, T Siddique and K Ansalan, part of a legislative delegation from Kerala, are also reported to be safe in Srinagar.
The CMO said that the government has taken steps to ensure safety of Malayalis in Jammu and Kashmir, while expressing grief over the death of a native of Edappally in Kochi in the attack.
N Ramachandran was on a vacation with his wife, his daughter and her two children when he was attacked.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: ‘The news that a native of Ernakulam was killed is extremely painful. His family members will be brought home safely. All necessary arrangements will be made under the leadership of the government.’
Kalpetta MLA T Siddique told India Today from a police control room in Jammu and Kashmir that the legislative delegation reached Kashmir on Tuesday at 5.20 pm for a Kashmir Legislative Assembly Committee meeting.
In the wake of attack, the Kerala government set up a help desk via Norka (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs).
The Norka Roots Chief Executive Officer Ajit Kolassery reportedly said: ‘The Norka help desk has been launched as per the instructions of the Chief Minister’s Office to provide assistance, services and information to Keralites in the wake of the Kashmir terror attack.’