Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 (IANS) A debate in Kerala’s Assembly on Monday over the spread of infectious diseases quickly turned into a high-voltage political clash between two prominent political heirs, with CPI-M MLA Mohammed Riyas and Health Minister K. Muraleedharan trading sharp allegations over the government’s handling of the situation.
Riyas, son-in-law of the present Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, moved a notice seeking leave for an adjournment motion to discuss the infectious disease situation in the state.
The motion, however, was rejected by the Speaker, who said the issue did not warrant an emergency discussion.
The exchange brought into focus two generations of Kerala politics, with Riyas representing the Left leadership legacy and Muraleedharan, son of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, defending the government from the treasury benches.
Riyas alleged that the much-publicised Kerala health model was facing a setback and accused the Health Department of lacking coordination.
He claimed that four districts were functioning without District Medical Officers and questioned the absence of adequate medical leadership in Kozhikode, which had earlier reported Nipah cases.
“Couldn’t the government provide even one medical officer for Kozhikode?” Riyas asked, alleging that the department was preoccupied with transfers and postings instead of strengthening disease prevention measures.
He also claimed that medicines for Nipah reached the state only five days after the disease was reported and alleged that the supply came only after Opposition protests.
In a sharp attack, Riyas targeted the Health Minister’s office, saying an official (now transferred director of health service) there had become a bigger concern than Nipah itself. Muraleedharan hit back, accusing the Opposition of attempting to create unnecessary alarm.
He said the state had acted swiftly, and medicines required for Nipah treatment were brought from abroad within 24 hours.
The minister said only one Nipah case had been reported in Kerala and pointed out that no Ebola case had been detected anywhere in India.
He maintained that the state had a strong disease prevention mechanism through coordination between departments and joint inspections by health and food safety officials.
Taking a political swipe, Muraleedharan said the government was facing the burden of the reels of the last 10 years and the “Veena playing” of the last five years, in a barb at Riyas, who was targeted by the Congress-led UDF for indulging in making reels and posting as minister (2021-26) and former Health Minister Veena George.
He assured the House that vacancies in the health sector would be filled soon and said there was no need for panic as the government had taken all necessary precautionary measures.
The clash turned the Assembly floor into a battleground where public health concerns merged with Kerala’s enduring political rivalries.
–IANS
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