Kerala CM lashes out at union Minister Muraleedharan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday lashed out at Union Minister V Muraleedharan for alleging mismanagement of the COVID-19 situation in the state, saying that those holding responsible positions were continuing to make wrong statements. Muraleedharan, while levelling the charge, had said thatthe Union government had not asked states to mandatorily take money from repatriated expatriates.

"Some from the state government have claimed that paid institutional quarantine was adopted in Kerala as per the Centres instruction. But the centre has not asked states to mandatorily take money from repatriated expatriates. It only said that there can be paid quarantine. Never did the central government ask states to take money from the poor," Muraleedharan said in Delhi.

Hitting back at Muraleedharan, the chief Minister said those making such remarks should at least read the circulars issued by the Centre.

"Those in responsible posts have been making wrong statements and are still continuing to do so. They should at least read the circulars issued by the Centre and the undertakings that haveto be signed by the expatriates before returning," Vijayan said.

The issue came up after the state government on Tuesday made it clear that those coming from abroad would henceforth have to pay for seven day government quarantine facilities.

"Paid quarantine is for those who come from abroad. Lakhs of people want to come to Kerala. The state may not be able to handle all of them," Vijayan had said.

However there was no need to worry as there would be affordable quarantine facilities for everyone, he had said. The Centre's guidelines on international arrivals state that before boarding, all travellers should give an undertaking to undergo mandatory quarantine for 14-days - seven days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days isolation at home. Vijayan dismissed Muraleedharan's charge of mismanagement of the COVID-19 in Kerala and said home quarantine was a success in Kerala and the people of the state know it.

"The people of the state very well know that whether our state's home quarantine mechanism is a a success or not. When we declared that expatriatesneed to be under institutional quarantine for seven days and rest of the seven days at home quarantine, the centre had a different opinion. Now they have agreed to our policy," Vijayan said.