Chief minister continues tirade against opposition

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan continued his offensive against opposition Congress on Tuesday. He said that with the opposition leader’s endorsement it is understood that the words of KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran are those of the Congress party’s. Ramachandran had criticized health minister K K Shailaja calling her ‘Nipah queen’ and ‘Covid princess’, inviting sharp criticism from different quarters.
“On Mullappally Ramachandran’s statement, the opposition leader has said those were the words of Congress. Has Congress stooped to such a level to use such words,” Vijayan said during a news conference on Tuesday. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy who had earlier responded to the controversy didn’t disown Mullappally. Both said Mullappally’s explanation, that his words were taken out of context and made into a controversy, was satisfactory. “All who are reasonable have condemned the statement. Mullappally had said he stood by the statement. After that, the opposition leader endorsed it and said what the KPCC president said were the words of Congress”, the CM said.
On opposition’s criticism that the CM himself used explicit terms to attack political opponents, Vijayan said, “When the state is united in fighting the pandemic, there is a move to attack the health minister who is leading the fight. I had criticized that. Can that be equated with something else?”
To allegations that government was frustrated since opposition foiled corruption attempts in Sprinklr and Pamba sand mining, Vijayan said, “They can only sing what they have learnt. They might be thinking this would have been a golden chance (had they been in power). We haven’t learnt from their school. Covid-19 is a major disaster. Our aim is to save all people. We are making the best effort to prevent its spread. There is not an iota of corruption in this process.”
On the controversy over the movie project on Variamkunnathu Kunjahammed Haji, the leader of Malabar revolution, Vijayan said Haji was a brave soldier who fought against British imperialism. “Our land has always honoured him.”