Kerala CM defends helicopter trip, lunch during floods: 'Politicising meal is unfortunate'

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday defended his helicopter trip to Kochi and a lunch at a Muslim Youth League leader's residence in Ponnani during the ongoing flood crisis, calling criticism of the meal “unfortunate and heinous.” He insisted that he had been monitoring the situation closely and that the trip was for official work.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Satheesan said he had been reviewing flood developments since 5 a.m. with the Revenue Minister, Chief Secretary, and District Collectors. He expressed disappointment that a lunch he had around 3 p.m. was being used for “political and media propaganda.” In a remark, he said he was “unaware that the previous Chief Minister had observed a fast during the 2018 floods,” adding, “I have only now realised that a Chief Minister should not eat food in such situations.”

The Chief Minister said his office was sharing flood updates with the media every three hours, and the Revenue Minister had held two briefings. He accused former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of using press conferences during disasters to make political allegations.

Responding to a complaint from a woman at a relief camp in Aranmula about inadequate facilities, Mr. Satheesan alleged that the complaint was made at the insistence of a local political party secretary. He said the woman later clarified the circumstances.

Defending the helicopter trip, Mr. Satheesan said it was “not for a personal purpose” but to meet an investment delegation that had arrived after meeting the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and was scheduled to return to Delhi. Although he had planned to travel by Vande Bharat Express, the schedule was changed due to the urgency of the meeting.

The Chief Minister said the government incurred no additional expenditure on the trip. The helicopter was contracted for a monthly rent of ₹80 lakh, which included 25 flying hours, and the same amount would be paid regardless of usage. He said the present government had used the helicopter sparingly.

Mr. Satheesan urged critics to examine the travel records of Mr. Vijayan, alleging that he had used helicopters for party meetings and that the rent was paid from the Disaster Management Fund. He declined to reveal details of the investment delegation, saying the project would be announced after a final decision.