Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan attacks Union min for ‘false allegations’ on landslides
Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday blamed the Kerala government for allowing ‘illegal human habitat expansion and mining’ in ecologically fragile region.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hit back at Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, terming the latter’s remarks about “unauthorised human settlements and illegal mining” in landslide-hit areas in Wayanad as ‘reprehensible’ and ‘false.’
Yadav on Monday had blamed the Kerala government for allowing ‘illegal human habitat expansion and mining’ in the ecologically fragile region leading to landslides on July 30 that have claimed officially over 220 lives in the state’s worst monsoon tragedy since the 2018 floods.
CM Vijayan, when asked about Yadav’s remarks at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, shot back: “Through such an allegation, the minister is insulting the people affected by the disaster. Who are these so-called unauthorised settlers? Are they the estate workers who perished in the landslide? Or are they the ordinary people who lived on their small plots of land? Anyone with even a basic understanding of Kerala’s hilly regions knows that the people living there cannot be labelled as unauthorised settlers.”
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The chief minister said that at a time when deep contemplation and collective efforts are required in the backdrop of the massive tragedy, a few are exploiting the situation for narrow interests.
“It is particularly reprehensible when those tasked with enlightening the public about the reality are involved in it. Unfortunately, the recent statement by Yadav, is an example of this,” the CM said.
Migration to the state’s hilly regions has a history spanning centuries, the CM underlined, and it is inappropriate for the Union minister to be ‘part of the propaganda that labels these people as encroachers without any understanding of this history.’
CM Vijayan also countered the claim of the union environment minister on ‘illegal mining’ by claiming that the nearest quarry to the landslide area is 10.2 kilometres away.
“Why is the union minister disseminating false information?” the CM asked.
Vijayan cited media reports claiming that the Centre is pressurising scientists to write articles and express opinions criticising the state government in the backdrop of the landslide and that such efforts have reportedly been made through the Press Information Bureau.
“When considered alongside the Union Minister’s recent statement, these media reports appear to be accurate. They themselves need to think about whom they are trying to harm through these paid writeups,” the CM alleged.
Vijayan, who has headed the state since first being elected in 2016, stated that Mundakkai, one of the villages most affected by the July 30 landslides, is an area where the environment is ‘seriously cared for’ and ‘no illegal mining occurs there’. He termed the allegations about ‘illegal mining’ as ‘politically motivated.’
Searches by rescue agencies continued on Tuesday to find remains of those who perished in the landslides that affected the villages of Chooralmala, Mundakkai and a few others in Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad.
While the official death toll is 224, 181 body parts, majority of which have not been identified by families, have also been retrieved. The state government put the number of missing at 154.