Wayanad: A touching interaction between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a young girl, Nysa, during the inauguration of a township for landslide survivors in Wayanad on Sunday became a focal point of political debate.

The three-year-old Nysa, who lost her father, siblings, and home in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide on 30 July 2024, had previously drawn national attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited a hospital in the district and interacted with her.

During the township inauguration, Nysa and her mother received a home, one of 178 houses handed over by the Chief Minister. Video clips of CM Vijayan holding and pampering Nysa quickly circulated on television and social media.

CPM leaders contrast CM and PM gestures

Senior CPM leaders seized the moment to highlight their government's follow-through. Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas posted side-by-side videos of the PM and CM with Nysa, noting that one "left after his show" while the other "implemented what he promised." Brittas alleged that despite the PM’s affectionate interaction, Nysa and her family had received no support thereafter.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty also referenced the comparison on Facebook, stating, "What was seen in the reel then and what is being seen in real today." He added that the Left government “says only what it can do and it does what it says.”

Senior CPM leader K K Shailja described the township inauguration as a "new chapter" in Wayanad’s history of survival.

Political tensions surface at the event

The inauguration also saw disruption from opposition ranks. Congress MLA T Siddique from Kalpetta was heckled and booed by a crowd during his speech, and even his name drew jeers during the welcome address. Siddique called the protest a staged act by CPM workers, asserting that he remains committed to working for landslide victims alongside the government.

During his address, Revenue Minister K Rajan subtly criticised Siddique and the Congress, emphasising that the Left government “does not merely lay a single stone and leave, but places stone upon stone and builds further.”