The Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the CPI(M)-led Kerala government for issuing an order restricting scientific institutions from visiting Wayanad landslide-hit areas or sharing opinions in media. However, following backlash, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan intervened and directed to withdraw the order.
Former Union Minister and Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrashekar, sharing a copy of the order on X, charged, “Everything.. I repeat.. Every single thing that INDI alliance says or does - like this official CPM govt order silencing science community - is built around hypocrisy, double standards and outright lies.”
The note, issued by Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management directed science and technology institutions in Kerala not to undertake any field visits to Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad, notified as a disaster-affected area. “The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions and study reports to media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from Kerala SDMA,” it read.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also slammed the Kerala government and charged, emergency and censorship come naturally to communists. “Emergency & censorship come naturally to communists. An atrocious order has been passed by Kerala Govt restraining Science & Tech institutions from field visits as well as sharing details & reports of disaster affected areas,” he tweeted. “The state govt is frightened that such activities will expose that the Wayanad Landslides is a Communist Govt-made disaster which happened from neglecting a series of early warnings from multiple agencies regarding the sensitivity of the region's landscape,” he added.
However, following backlash from the science community, the state government withdrew the order. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reportedly directed Chief Secretary V. Venu to withdraw the order. The CM also said reports that the government has restricted scientists was misleading.
Scores are still feared trapped under the debris as two major landslides triggered by torrential rains left a trail of destruction in Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha villages in the wee hours of Tuesday. According to official sources, around 200 houses were completely damaged in the landslides. Death toll touched 316 on Friday and rescue operations are continuing.