Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has come under criticism from Left leaders after attending a lunch hosted by Muslim Youth League Vice President Faisal Bafaqui Thangal at Ponnani in Malappuram district at a time when several parts of the state were dealing with heavy rain and weather-related emergencies.
The controversy erupted after Faisal shared photographs and videos of the gathering on Facebook.
The posts were subsequently circulated on social media, with critics questioning whether it was appropriate for the Chief Minister to attend such a gathering when rain-related incidents, flooding and other disruptions were being reported from different districts.
CPI-M leaders, including MLA V.K. Prasanth and Rajya Sabha member A.A. Rahim, were among those who criticised Satheesan over the episode, accusing him of failing to demonstrate the level of involvement expected from the head of the government during a period of severe weather.
In a Facebook post, Rahim drew a comparison with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s handling of similar situations. He said Vijayan had cancelled scheduled programmes during periods of severe weather and remained focused on coordinating rescue, relief and disaster-management operations.
Rahim also cited Satheesan’s responsibilities in the state’s disaster-management mechanism and questioned his decision to attend the lunch while people in several areas were facing difficulties caused by the rains.
The criticism comes as the government and district administrations continue to monitor vulnerable areas following heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides in parts of Kerala.
Satheesan has not publicly responded to the criticism so far.
However, sources close to the Chief Minister rejected suggestions that he had travelled to Ponnani specifically to participate in a celebratory event. They said Satheesan had gone to the area to visit senior Congress leader C. Haridas, who is unwell, at his residence.
According to them, Thangal lives close to Haridas’s residence and the Chief Minister attended lunch at his house during the visit. They maintained that the meal was incidental to Satheesan’s visit to the ailing Congress leader and should not be portrayed as the Chief Minister prioritising a social function over disaster-management responsibilities.
The episode has nevertheless triggered a political controversy, with the Opposition seeking to use the images from the gathering to question the Chief Minister’s priorities during the ongoing weather crisis.
–IANS
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