M Swaraj Slams Mathew Kuzhalnadan Over ‘Man-Made Flood’ Claims Ahead of Polls

Thiruvananthapuram: M Swaraj has criticised Mathew Kuzhalnadan over his allegations that the 2018 Kerala floods were man-made and linked to corruption.

CPI(M) state secretariat member M Swaraj questioned why Kuzhalnadan had not approached the courts with these claims. He argued that the matter had already been examined in detail by the judiciary between 2018 and 2020, and that similar petitions had failed.

Swaraj alleged that previous legal challenges—filed with support from the Indian National Congress and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh—were dismissed, and accused Kuzhalnadan of reviving the issue for political gain ahead of elections.

State Minister K Krishnankutty also criticised the timing of the allegations, stating that Kuzhalnadan had not raised such concerns during earlier discussions in the Assembly and was now doing so in the run-up to the polls. He added that the government would examine the matter and consider legal action if necessary.

Meanwhile, Mathew T Thomas dismissed the allegations as baseless, expressing confidence that the public would reject them. He pointed out that studies conducted by the Central Water Commission and experts from IIT Chennai had concluded that the floods were caused by extremely heavy rainfall.

He also rejected claims that dam shutters were not opened in time, stating that all spillway gates had been operated as required. He also added that both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court of India had earlier cautioned against repeatedly raising the issue without merit.