‘Eranam kettavan’ row returns as ‘Boomerang’: Veena George hits out at Kerala Health Minister

Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan came under sustained attack in the Assembly on Monday as the opposition LDF accused the government of failing to effectively tackle communicable diseases, while also reviving controversial remarks he made while in the opposition.

The debate unfolded during an adjournment motion moved by CPM MLA and former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who alleged that Kerala's widely recognised public health system was showing signs of decline under the Congress-led UDF government.

The opposition's criticism comes as the state deals with concerns over the spread of communicable diseases, including Nipah, dengue, malaria, Shigella infections and amoebic meningoencephalitis.

Riyas said 35 days may not be enough to fully assess a government, but argued that it was sufficient to understand the direction in which an administration was moving.

He accused the government of failing to ensure adequate coordination within the health department and questioned its preparedness to respond to disease outbreaks.

The CPM leader also referred to Muraleedharan's past remarks against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, saying the opposition did not subscribe to the view that communicable diseases emerged because a particular political party was in power.

"That is not our view, though it may have been the present health minister's view in the past," Riyas said.

Past remarks return to haunt minister

The criticism centres on comments Muraleedharan made in 2021 while serving in the opposition during the Nipah and Covid-19 outbreaks.

At the time, he had blamed the then LDF government and used the Malayalam phrase, "Eranam kettavan naadu bharichal, naadu mudiyum", implying that if a cursed or wretched person ruled a state, the state would suffer. He had also suggested that outbreaks such as Nipah occurred under Pinarayi Vijayan's leadership but not during the tenures of former UDF chief ministers K. Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy.

With Kerala now facing multiple communicable disease concerns during Muraleedharan's first month as health minister, the LDF has turned those remarks against him, arguing that his own earlier logic would now reflect on the current administration.

Muraleedharan had previously sought to distance himself from the controversy, saying remarks made while in the opposition should not be used to judge his performance as a minister.

He argued that statements made in a political capacity and responsibilities carried out in an official administrative role were not the same.

Opposition raises concerns over staffing and preparedness

During Monday's debate, Riyas questioned the government's handling of the health sector and claimed that administrative decisions were affecting public health services.

He alleged that four districts were functioning without District Medical Officers and said Kozhikode, where a recent Nipah case was reported, was facing a shortage of senior health officials.

The opposition also criticised the ongoing transfer and posting exercise within the health department, claiming it was disrupting operations and affecting staff morale.

Riyas further alleged that medicines required for Nipah treatment arrived in the state only after the disease had been reported and following opposition protests.

Referring to the minister's clarification that no Ebola case had been reported in Kerala, Riyas remarked that he feared officials might eventually announce the presence of the disease in the state as well.

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan also rejected the government's claims that the previous LDF administration had failed to carry out adequate pre-monsoon preparedness measures.

According to Vijayan, all necessary preventive steps had been taken except during March and April when the Model Code of Conduct was in force.

He alleged that grassroots-level disease prevention activities had largely stalled and claimed the health department's functioning had gone off track.

"The health department has completely failed," Vijayan said, alleging that large-scale transfers were undermining public health services and affecting healthcare workers.

Minister rejects allegations, cites containment efforts

Responding to the criticism, Muraleedharan strongly defended the government's record and dismissed the opposition's allegations.

He said the government was dealing with the consequences of what he described as "five years of wrong decisions and ten years of reels", an apparent reference to the previous LDF administration.

The minister maintained that the situation did not warrant panic.

He noted that only one Nipah case had been reported in Kerala and said all contacts linked to the patient had tested negative.

Muraleedharan contrasted the current situation with previous Nipah outbreaks, pointing out that 16 deaths had occurred during the earlier LDF government's tenure.

He also rejected claims that the government had delayed procuring antiviral medication, saying the required medicines were imported from Bahrain within 24 hours.

The minister further dismissed speculation surrounding Ebola, stating that samples from a suspected patient had tested negative at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. He reiterated that no Ebola case had been confirmed anywhere in India.

"Our focus is not merely on treatment after disease strikes, but on preventing outbreaks through vigilance and public participation," he told the House.

Muraleedharan said the health and food safety departments were conducting joint inspections and assured legislators that vacancies in the health sector would be filled soon.

He also claimed that no significant preventive activities had been undertaken since January under the previous administration and said officials unwilling to cooperate with the new government had been moved from key positions.

Arguing that there was no justification for suspending regular Assembly business to discuss the issue, he urged the House to reject the adjournment motion.

Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan subsequently denied permission for the motion, prompting LDF members to stage a walkout in protest.

Veena George accuses minister of ignoring public concern

Former health minister Veena George also criticised Muraleedharan in a Facebook post following the Assembly debate.

She said the minister should focus on coordinating the department instead of making political remarks and alleged that he was treating the situation lightly despite fever-related deaths in the state.

According to George, 87 people had died from fever-related illnesses in Kerala within 30 days.

Referring to Muraleedharan's Assembly remarks about "ten years of reels" and "five years of playing the veena" — the latter seen as a reference to her tenure as health minister — George said the minister had failed to show any change in his political style.

She argued that the achievements of the previous LDF government in the health sector appeared to be troubling the current minister because he had been among the opposition leaders who had frequently criticised the department and its leadership.

George also said that many of the allegations made against the previous government were now returning as a "boomerang" to those who had raised them.

Former minister highlights LDF health sector record

In her post, George cited several indicators from the previous LDF administration.

She claimed that Kerala's dengue fatality rate had fallen from 0.8 during the tenure of former health minister V.S. Sivakumar under the UDF government to 0.1 during the LDF period, which she described as the lowest rate recorded.

She also said the UDF had started a medical college in Idukki without adequate infrastructure and failed to secure approval, whereas four medical colleges were established and recognised during the LDF government's five-year term.

According to George, infant mortality in Kerala declined from 12 during the UDF period to 5.6 in 2025 under the LDF government.

She further claimed that while the UDF had announced plans to establish testing laboratories in 200 health centres, the initiative was not implemented. In contrast, she said laboratory facilities had been established across health centres under the LDF, creating a network of around 1,300 laboratories.

George also highlighted the establishment of cath labs at district hospital level across Kerala to facilitate specialised cardiac treatment.

She said the state was facing the reality of 87 fever-related deaths within a month and argued that the health minister's priority should be to lead the department effectively and address public concerns through timely intervention.