Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday strongly criticized Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav’s claim that the Wayanad tragedy was caused by “illegal mining and human encroachments,” calling it a display of ignorance and a misrepresentation of Kerala’s long history of settler farmers. Vijayan accused some individuals of exploiting the tragedy for political gain.
The Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change had recently told ANI that “illegal protection” of human habitation by local politicians and inadequate zoning for tourism contributed to the tragedy. He also mentioned the formation of a committee led by former Director General of Forests Sanjay Kumar to address illegal habitation and mining activities in the area.
Vijayan dismissed Yadav’s comments as a “motivated charge,” arguing that they insult the victims of the tragedy. He questioned whether the affected plantation workers were encroachers and emphasized that their hard work had rightfully earned them small parcels of land. “They are not encroachers but legitimate landowners,” Vijayan said during a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Chief Minister further criticized Yadav’s claim that illegal mining caused the landslide, noting that the nearest mine was 10.2 kilometers away from the affected area. He labeled the minister’s statements as “falsehoods” and insisted there was no illegal mining in Mundakkai.
Vijayan also suggested that Yadav’s comments might align with media reports indicating that the Centre, through the Press Information Bureau (PIB), had sought articles criticizing the Kerala government’s handling of the Wayanad tragedy.
While Yadav had also accused the Kerala government of ignoring the Centre’s committee on environmental zoning and criticized the approval of two non-coal mining projects in Wayanad, Vijayan chose not to address these points.
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