Thiruvananthapuram, March 2 – With assembly elections on the horizon and political tensions running high, a government rehabilitation function in Wayanad has sparked a fresh controversy.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon near Kalpetta, where homes were formally handed over to survivors of the July 30, 2024, landslide tragedy.
The function took an unexpected turn when Congress's Kalpetta MLA, T. Siddique, was heckled by a group of Left activists as he rose to speak and also during his speech.
The incident comes against the backdrop of intense political sparring, particularly the ongoing social media backlash targeting State Health Minister Veena George.
She and the ruling leadership have maintained that she was attacked by KSU workers during a recent protest, but critics point to the lack of visual evidence, fueling heavy online trolling.
Political observers suggest that the charged atmosphere may have contributed to Sunday's heckling.
Siddique, the legislator representing Kalpetta, the constituency closest to Mundakkai where the tragedy struck, had been among the first political leaders to reach the site on the night of the disaster.
He had alerted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and subsequently coordinated relief and rehabilitation efforts alongside various organizations.
Eyewitnesses said the heckling began when Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak mentioned Siddique in his welcome address and continued as the MLA commenced his speech.
Although local CPI(M) leaders reportedly attempted to restrain the protesters, the disruption persisted.
The Chief Minister and other dignitaries on the dais did not intervene.
Visibly emotional yet composed, Siddique continued his address, outlining initiatives undertaken for affected families, including support for children's higher education.
Significantly, several survivors later consoled him, saying they knew who had stood by them during the crisis.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan, in his speech, declared that the government would not merely "lay stones" but build homes and hand them to the deserving. These remarks drew applause but also political commentary.
Notably, in previous instances of disruption during his own speeches, CM Vijayan had expressed strong displeasure at slogan shouting.
Siddique on Monday said this was his first experience in his career, and those who did this should know that it was a government programme and not a party event.
“I am not one to be heckled, as I know, and all those who saw my work, what I did when the tragedy struck,” said Siddique.
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said it was extremely poor behaviour on the part of CM Vijayan and other responsible people on the dais when this happened, as they made no attempt to stop the heckling.
Sunday's events, however, underline how electoral undercurrents and digital-era controversies are increasingly spilling onto official platforms, even at moments meant for collective healing.
