Satheesan demands resignation of minister K Krishnankutty and Mathew T Thomas, MLA, in ‘leaked audio’ on 2018 floods

Kochi: Escalating his offensive against LDF govt, opposition leader V D Satheesan on Tuesday called for the immediate resignation of minister K Krishnankutty and Thiruvalla MLA Mathew T Thomas. The demand follows the emergence of an audio recording that he claimed corroborates UDF's long-standing charges that the devastating 2018 floods were a ‘man-made disaster' caused by mismanagement and corruption.Satheesan alleged that the leaked conversation involving Krishnankutty provides evidence of gross negligence. According to him, the minister's remarks ‘implicated' the then water resources minister Mathew T Thomas, suggesting that dam management protocols were deliberately subverted to favour sand and mineral mafia. "I have maintained since 2018 that this was a man-made tragedy. Today, the minister's own words have underlined that allegation. The people of Kerala deserve to know who is responsible for the loss of lives and property," he told reporters in Paravur. Earlier Krishnankutty dismissed the clip as a sophisticated AI-generated deepfake. However, Satheesan was quick to challenge this defence, daring the minister to provide forensic proof. "If the minister claims this voice is not his, let him prove it. I challenge him to demonstrate that this is an AI fabrication. Simply labelling the truth as ‘AI' will not absolve this govt of its crimes against the people," he added. Satheesan also accused chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of hijacking credit for UDF-initiated projects. "Projects like Vizhinjam port, Kochi Metro, and Kannur airport were brought to fruition by UDF. Vijayan once labelled Vizhinjam a ‘real estate scam', yet today he shamelessly claims credit for it," Satheesan said. He characterized LDF tenure as a period of ‘non-governance' and corruption. He cited the gold theft at Sabarimala involving CPM leaders and the distribution of expired medicines during the pandemic as prime examples of the govt's ethical bankruptcy. He further noted that Kerala has topped the national inflation charts for 12 consecutive months, while the agricultural sector remains in crisis due to failed paddy procurement and stagnant rubber prices. Predicting a collapse of CPM post-election, Satheesan noted that an unprecedented number of party rebels are contesting with the silent backing of senior leaders tired of ‘Pinarayi's dictatorship'. He dismissed recent ‘paid surveys' predicting a close race, stating that national surveys and the ground reality point towards a decisive UDF landslide.