The Opposition CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) staged a walkout in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday after Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan rejected its notice for an adjournment motion on the alleged failure of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government to prevent the spread of diseases like Nipah, Shigella, Monkeypox, and Dengue.
The adjournment motion was moved by CPM Beypur MLA and former minister P A Mohammed Riyas, who alleged that the state’s acclaimed “Kerala model” in the health sector was showing signs of deterioration under the UDF government. He took a heavy political dig at Health Minister Muraleedharan recalling the criticisms he made against the LDF government in th4e past.
He noted that the Opposition does not childishly believe communicable diseases emerge simply because a specific political front takes power, adding, “That is not our view, though it may have been the present health minister’s view in the past”.
Accusing the government of a lack of coordination with the Health Department, Riyas highlighted that diseases like Nipah, West Nile fever, amoebic meningoencephalitis, and monkey fever have already hit the state. Commenting on the minister’s statement regarding the absence of Ebola in Kerala, Riyas mockingly added that he fears department officials will soon report its presence as well.
Former chief minister and current Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan launched a direct attack on K Muraleedharan, accusing him of gross negligence by physically remaining absent from Kozhikode immediately after a lethal Nipah case was officially confirmed, contrasting it with how the previous LDF government prioritized on-the-ground presence during past outbreaks.
The Health Minister mounted an aggressive defence in the Assembly, strongly refuting the Opposition’s allegations of government failure in epidemic control. He dismissed the claims as unnecessary panic-mongering and launched direct political counter-attacks against the former Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
Muraleedharan argued that the current crisis arose because the previous LDF government failed to execute mandatory pre-monsoon cleaning and preventive activities between January and April. He noted that due to the state elections, grassroots sanitation drives were completely ignored by the previous government.
Turning the defence into a political offensive, he took sharp jabs at P A Mohammed Riyas and former Health Minister Veena George. He stated that his new ministry is forced to “bear the burden of the reels of the last 10 years and the five years of ‘Veenameettal’ (Veena playing), apparently referring to the PR works undertaken by the government during the tenure of former Health Minister Veena George.
He stated that the Health Department did not compromise “even 1%” in its response. Essential Nipah medications were successfully flown in from abroad within 24 hours, and the situation remains fully contained with only one confirmed case.
The Health Minister clarified that lab results for two patients monitored for suspected Ebola had officially returned negative. He assured the assembly that no Ebola case exists anywhere in India.
He pointed out that targeted efforts had already brought the Shigella bacterial outbreak under controlFollowing the Health Minister’s reply, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan denied permission for the adjournment motion, following which LDF members staged a walkout in protest.