Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan criticized the opposition ‘INDI Alliance’ for allegedly spreading false claims about central aid for Wayanad disaster victims. He clarified that the central government has not refused assistance and accused the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) of politicizing the disaster for electoral gains. Muraleedharan also labeled the hartal in Wayanad as an attempt to counter the BJP’s progress in the upcoming Palakkad by-election, questioning whether the CPM had submitted the required Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report to the Centre for aid approval.
Muraleedharan accused the state government of failing to allocate land or engage with volunteers who offered to build homes for those affected by the disaster, despite four months having passed since the tragedy. He alleged that the state government had not adhered to guidelines necessary to secure central disaster relief funds, contrasting Kerala’s inaction with other states that successfully submitted PDNA reports to receive aid. He also criticized the Congress for its lack of accountability, highlighting past instances of inadequate support for disaster victims.
The BJP leader further alleged that the Kerala government was diverting resources toward legal disputes with the Centre instead of addressing disaster relief measures. He urged the public to see through the political motives of the UDF-LDF alliance, accusing them of exploiting the disaster victims. Meanwhile, the hartal called by the UDF and LDF aimed to protest the perceived inadequacies of both the central and state governments in addressing the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide disaster.