Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that he had met the ruler of Sharjah in September 2017 when the latter was in the state for receiving D.Litt degree, but the meeting was official and representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) were present.

This submission by Vijayan came in response to an unstarred question by UDF MLA M Kuzhalnadan who had asked whether the Sharjah ruler's pre-planned route was changed for the meeting with the Chief Minister at his official residence -- Cliff House -- in the state capital.

The Chief Minister, in his reply, also denied that the route of the Sharjah ruler was changed.

Vijayan also said that between 2016-2020, he did hold official meetings with the Consul General of UAE at Cliff House and for that no permission from MEA was required.

This was the reply to the unstarred query by UDF MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph on whether the Chief Minister had met the UAE Consul General of UAE at his official residence and if yes, how many times.

Joseph had also asked whether the MEA had approved the meeting.