Kochi: On Monday, K. Surendran, Chief of the Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government of inflating relief expenditures related to the Wayanad landslides. In a statement on X, Surendran alleged that the state government had exploited the disaster for its own benefit. Surendran claimed that the inflated relief spending presented by the state disaster management authority to the Kerala High Court indicated corruption and misappropriation. "The Pinarayi Vijayan government has shamelessly turned this disaster into a corrupt money-grabbing scheme," he said.
He criticized the government's response, stating, "While the people of Kerala selflessly rallied to help the Wayanad landslide victims, the CPM-led LDF government focused on how to exploit the tragedy for its own gain. The entire state now sees their inhumane, greed-driven agenda." Surendran also demanded Chief Minister Vijayan's immediate resignation, asserting, "Kerala has never witnessed such heartless governance. If Pinarayi had even a shred of integrity left, he would resign immediately."
Earlier in July, Surendran had claimed that the Wayanad landslide, which resulted in over 150 fatalities, could have been prevented if the Kerala government had acted on warnings from the central government. He accused the Vijayan administration of ignoring severe weather alerts issued on July 23, 24, 25, and 26, and criticized the Left and Congress for engaging in political drama instead of addressing their failures. A study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that the landslides, exacerbated by human-induced climate change, were triggered by torrential rainfall that was about 10 percent heavier than usual.
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