Kollam: Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare O J Janeesh on Monday defended his foreign visits amid the controversy over ministers’ overseas trips, saying he had travelled at his own expense and there was no reason to turn the visits into a controversy.

“There is no need to make an issue out of every trip. Isn’t it my wife who is accompanying me? Why should people be worried about that?”

“Can’t ministers have private moments? What era are we living in? I am 37 years old. I am not trying to cater to a ‘thantha vibe’,” Janeesh said.

Janeesh said he had undertaken two recent foreign trips. One was to attend a district-level programme of the Guru Dharma Pracharana Sabha (GDPS) in Thrissur, an organisation founded by Sree Narayana Guru. The other was to Qatar at the invitation of the Thrissur District Souhrida Vedi, an organisation that has been functioning for 25 years and has more than 5,500 expatriate members from Thrissur, he said. The minister said the organisations concerned had taken care of the travel expenses for the two visits.

“I may occasionally take short trips, as long as they do not cause difficulties for the government, affect my responsibilities, bring a bad name to the government or result in taxpayers' money being wasted,” he said.

Janeesh said he had met the ambassadors during both trips. During his Qatar visit, the ambassador had specifically invited him to his residence for a meeting.

He said he had raised the issue of Malayalis imprisoned in Qatar during his meeting with the ambassador.

“More than 700 expatriates are currently in jail there. I had applications from 32 Malayalis seeking intervention for their release. I discussed the matter with him,” Janeesh said, adding that the applications would be forwarded in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the state government's protocol.

He said he had also attended programmes organised by Congress-affiliated expatriate groups during his Qatar visit. “I am also the minister in charge of Thrissur. Naturally, I should accept invitations from expatriates from the district, listen to their concerns and intervene on their behalf where necessary,” he said.

A controversy had erupted after several UDF ministers, including Ramesh Chennithala, P C Vishnunadh, O J Janeesh and K M Shaji, undertook foreign visits. Chennithala was the first to travel, visiting the US with his family for private purposes. Vishnunadh's visit to the UAE was official, while Shaji and his family began a European tour recently.

On the alleged fraud related to plans to bring football star Lionel Messi to Kerala, Janeesh said the government may have to seek Interpol's assistance.

“We have reached a situation where we may need Interpol's help in the fraud related to Messi's visit. If we have to investigate irregularities in the Sports Department, we may have to seek Interpol's assistance,” he said.

Janeesh said the investigation would be conducted using the available mechanisms and that the construction of stadiums would be completed at the earliest. He said the investigation would also examine whether any Sports Department officials had an interest in the alleged fraud committed in the name of bringing Messi to Kerala.