Kerala CM Refutes Amit Shah's Claims Over Ignored Calamity Warning

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertions about the state ignoring warnings of severe rainfall leading to landslides in Wayanad. Vijayan emphasized the much higher-than-predicted rainfall and the state's proactive measures. He stressed the need for cooperative disaster response instead of blame games, focusing on rescue and rebuilding.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday dismissed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claims that the state government ignored the Centre's warning about potential natural calamities in Wayanad. Amit Shah stated that an early warning was sent seven days ahead of the incident.

Vijayan clarified that the India Meteorological Department had issued an orange alert for the district, but the rainfall far exceeded predictions, with over 572 millimeters in 48 hours. Despite this, the area was not put on red alert before the landslides.

Vijayan stressed the importance of focusing on rescue and rehabilitation efforts rather than blame games and urged the Centre to take climate change seriously and implement preventive measures. So far, 158 lives have been lost, and over 5,500 people have been rescued in the affected areas.