Thiruvananthapuram, March 2 -- Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concerns over the safety concerns of the Kerala expatriates living in West Asia, amid the conflict in the region after the US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and its retaliatory action on the US bases in the Gulf countries, especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The chief minister sought action from the Union government in transporting them back home.

"We need to have preparedness to ensure safety of 'pravasis' (expatriates), including an action to bring them back safely, if situation demands. I am sure that Government of India will be seriously thinking about this," the chief minister said. "I also take th...