Thiruvananthapuram | The opposition CPI(M) on Thursday accused the Congress-led UDF government of "politicising" the Wayanad landslide tragedy instead of focusing on rescue operations, alleging that contradictory statements by ministers and officials had undermined public confidence and exposed serious administrative lapses.
The allegations were made in a strongly-worded editorial published in the CPI(M)'s mouthpiece Deshabhimani, which accused the government of "attempting to convert" the disaster into a political controversy while evading responsibility.
The Left party alleged that contradictory statements issued by ministers and authorities immediately after the incident created confusion among the public and reflected an attempt to conceal technical facts and politicise the tragedy.
It said Kerala had set nationally and internationally recognised models in disaster rescue and rehabilitation during previous calamities, but instead of prioritising such efforts, the government sought to turn the incident into a controversy and distance itself from accountability.
The editorial referred to the differing statements made by ministers over the cause of the disaster.
It said Wayanad in-charge Minister T Siddique had initially termed the incident a "man-made disaster", claiming that it was caused by scientifically improper dumping of excavated soil rather than a natural landslide. Chief Minister V D Satheesan had also stated that the danger arose from the collapse of dumped soil rather than a hill slope.
However, Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar later clarified that it was indeed a landslide that triggered the disaster, contradicting the earlier stand. The Chief Minister subsequently revised his position, the editorial said.
The CPI(M) further alleged that the District Disaster Management Authority had directed the removal of the dumped soil on June 20, but no follow-up action was taken.
Instead, a Public Works Department team that inspected the project site on June 25 reportedly decided that immediate removal of the soil was unnecessary and resolved to identify a suitable location for its storage in consultation with the district collector.
According to the editorial, delays in precautionary measures by both the construction company and the government, coupled with a lack of coordination among departments, ultimately contributed to the disaster.
The party alleged that after the UDF assumed office, adequate inspections and corrective measures relating to the tunnel project were not carried out and that safety guidelines remained confined to paper while high-level review meetings became mere formalities, resulting in loss of lives.
Maintaining that the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel was one of Kerala's dream infrastructure projects, the CPI(M) cautioned against attempts to use the tragedy to derail the project.
The editorial recalled that the project had undergone a year-long Social Impact Assessment before the report was published in 2023, followed by public hearings in Wayanad and Kozhikode.
It noted that the project received the state's environmental clearance in March 2025 and approval from the Union Environment Ministry in May 2025, subject to 60 conditions aimed at minimising environmental impacts during construction. It also referred to the Supreme Court stipulating 58 conditions while considering matters related to the project.
The CPI(M) also criticised a section of the media, alleging that instead of objectively reporting the incident, some UDF-backed media organisations attempted to defend the government through contradictory narratives even during the disaster.
Rather than evading responsibility, the government should ensure transparent and efficient implementation of the tunnel project while preventing recurrence of such lapses, it added.
Four people were killed and several others injured after a landslide struck the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project site at Kalladi in Wayanad on July 7.