Pinarayi Vijayan’s illogical strategy, media propaganda costing nation: BJP slams Kerala govt over COVID-19 surge

File Photo

New Delhi: With Kerala constantly reporting well over half of the country's daily COVID-19 cases, the BJP on Wednesday accused the Left government in the state of doing little to mitigate the health crisis and being busy in "covering it up" through motivated propaganda.

Kerala on Wednesday reported 31,445 fresh COVID-19 cases and 215 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,83,429 and the fatalities to 19,972.

The last time the state crossed the 30,000-mark was on May 20 when it witnessed 30,491 cases. With 24,296 new infections on Tuesday, it had reported nearly 65 percent of the nationwide cases.

Union minister and BJP leader V Muraleedharan tweeted attacking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, "Alarming COVID-19 situation in Kerala, @vijayanpinarayi has clearly failed to protect people's lives.

"Kerala alone recorded 24,296 cases & 173 deaths yesterday. @vijayanpinarayi's illogical strategy & motivated media propaganda costing dearly the nation."

BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said Kerala is in the grip of COVID-19, and the state government is busy covering it up.

"Especially the newsreader turned health minister is busy reading the wrong script and spreading disinformation that everything is hunky-dory in Kerala," he said.

The reality is that while the disease in almost all other parts of the country is under control, little effort is being made to curb it in the state, he claimed.

Alleging that the state government has launched a "massive cover-up" by spreading disinformation, he said the people of Kerala are suffering.