Pinarayi flags health lapses, Sabarimala cover-up; accuses govt of bowing to Sangh Parivar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a scathing attack on the state administration, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has held the Chief Minister directly responsible for the controversial appointment of a defence lawyer—who previously represented 'Smart Creations' in the Sabarimala gold heist case—as the counsel for the Devaswom Department.

Addressing a press conference at the AKG Centre, the Opposition Leader asserted that the lawyer’s resignation does not bury the controversy. He demanded an immediate high-level investigation into the specific files and official documents accessed by the attorney during his brief hours in charge.

"There was an uncanny haste in finalising this appointment, which points to a clear attempt to compromise the gold heist probe," Pinarayi alleged. He further challenged the Chief Minister to come clean on the nature of his dialogues with a key intermediary who had been interrogated in connection with the case.

When pressed for comments on recent disclosures made by former Devaswom Board President A. Padmakumar, regarding the Sabarimala women's entry issue, Pinarayi downplayed the development, stating he was unacquainted with the details and added that drafting an autobiography is hardly a novelty.

Turning his attention to the health sector, the Opposition leader flagged systemic lapses in the state's Nipah containment strategy, pointing to a glaring lack of coordination between the Health Minister, the department, and the district administration. He noted that conflicting public statements—where the Minister confirmed a cholera outbreak while the District Medical Officer (DMO) flatly denied it—have triggered widespread panic.

"Epidemics and viruses do not choose their targets based on which political party is in power. The Health Minister should have acquired that basic wisdom by now," Pinarayi remarked, urging immediate government intervention to fix acute medicine shortages. He also targeted the government for its failure to mitigate growing human-wildlife conflicts in the state's high ranges.

Saffronisation allegations

On the political front, Pinarayi Vijayan accused the current dispensation of completely surrendering to the Sangh Parivar within just a month of taking office. He expressed deep concern over three Vice-Chancellors from the state attending an RSS event, adding that while the previous LDF government actively resisted the saffronisation of higher education, the then-opposition had sabotaged those efforts.

New look

The press conference also witnessed a rare personal moment when the senior leader arrived without his trademark spectacles. Explaining the change to curious reporters, Pinarayi Vijayan shared that he had recently undergone cataract surgery, eliminating his dependence on reading glasses. "The doctors have advised me that I no longer need them. However, several people are still telling me that I should keep wearing them," he shared in a lighter vein.