Idukki (Kerala) | Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on Friday said state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered an official investigation into an audio clip purportedly featuring former Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on the handling of the 2018 Kerala floods.
In April this year, Kuzhalnadan made serious allegations that the 2018 floods in Kerala were caused by "corruption and greed" of the Left government, which delayed opening some dams in the state to benefit certain private businesses.
Muvattupuzha MLA, in support of his allegations, played a purported audio clip of state Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, who appeared to blame then Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas for the floods that occurred during the tenure of the first Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Speaking to reporters here, Kuzhalnadan said the investigation was ordered following a complaint filed by a third party and would establish whether the purported audio was genuine or fabricated.
Recalling that he had released the audio conversation two days before the Assembly elections, the Congress legislator said he had alleged that it exposed large-scale irregularities and corruption during the previous LDF government's handling of the 2018 floods.
He said the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front had dismissed the recording as fake, alleging that it was generated using artificial intelligence and fabricated for electoral gains, besides announcing legal action against him.
"I had welcomed legal action because I wanted the matter to be investigated. But after making those claims, nothing happened," he said.
Kuzhalnadan said the investigation ordered by the Home Minister now would determine whether the audio attributed to Krishnankutty was genuine or whether it had been fabricated, as alleged by the CPI(M).
"This is an opportunity to establish the truth before the people of Kerala. The UDF government has a responsibility to verify the allegations it had raised while in the opposition," he said.
The Congress MLA said if the investigation found that he had fabricated the audio, legal action should be initiated against him.
"However, if the recording is found to be genuine, the government must register a criminal case and a vigilance case and investigate whether corruption had taken place," he said.
Describing the 2018 floods as a "man-made flood", Kuzhalnadan said many lives were lost, and the state suffered losses worth thousands of crores of rupees.
"We have a responsibility to identify those responsible. If the audio is proved to be original, criminal and vigilance investigations should follow," he said.
Kuzhalnadan said he would fully cooperate with the government and the police in the investigation.
