Palakkad: BJP president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Sunday attacked the Left government in Kerala over the delay in release of the Justice Hema Committee report and the landslides in Wayanad district of the state that claimed over 200 lives. Nadda, who is in Kerala to attend a three-day coordination meeting organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here, questioned the delay in release of the committee report and the implementation of its recommendations.

"What is stopping them? What is haunting them? It is because they are part and parcel of it (adverse findings in the report). They want to hide something because their people are involved. "I am sorry to say that the Hema Committee report has specifically said that CPI(M) leaders are involved. The Chief Minister should come out in black and white. He should say what actually happened," the Union Minister said while speaking at a public meeting with industrialists and civic leaders of the district.

The Justice K Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Nadda also accused the Left government of being slow to react even after getting warnings of adverse weather conditions in Wayanad, where massive landslides devastated Punchirimattam, Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages under the Meppadi panchayat. The minister said that while what happened was tragic and the Centre was helping Kerala in every possible way, it was the "callousness" of the state government which led to the loss of life.

"The weather department had given warnings and the NDRF forces were here, but the state government was slow and therefore, timely response could not reach there," he contended. He said the people of Palakkad need to realise how the state was being governed so that they can choose to elect a BJP candidate from the district to the state assembly in 2026.

Nadda also attacked the Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala by saying that they and the LDF are two sides of the same coin. He alleged that the two fronts have destroyed the culture of Kerala. The BJP chief said that earlier Kerala was known for peace, development and education, but now "it was becoming land of violence and corruption".

"The political leaders here have lost their moral lights and are steeped in corruption," he alleged. Nadda also raked up the gold smuggling through diplomatic bags scandal and the multi-crore Karuvannur cooperative bank scam to attack the Left government and the CM's office. He expressed confidence that the BJP was gaining ground in Kerala and Palakkad and "lotus will bloom" in the district. 
(With PTI inputs)