Kerala CM seeks West Bengal counterpart’s intervention to restore journalist R. Rajagopal’s passport

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday (June 29, 2026) sought the intervention of his West Bengal counterpart, Suvendu Adhikari, to restore the passport of senior journalist and former editor of The Telegraph newspaper, R. Rajagopal.

Mr. Satheesan told Mr. Adhikari that an adverse police verification report by the Kolkata police had hobbled Mr. Rajagopal’s passport renewal process. He said the deletion of Mr. Rajagopal’s name from the electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) had prompted the unfavourable police verification report.

Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Rajagopal had initiated the appeal process for getting his name reinstated in the electoral rolls.

Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed shock and dismay at the government’s refusal to renew Mr. Rajagopal’s passport. In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr. Vijayan said the SIR had caused Mr. Rajagopal’s non-inclusion in the electoral rolls, consequently resulting in the loss of a passport.