Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Binoy Viswam said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to explain to the country during his upcoming visit to Kerala how the tragic incident in which 15 people died due to drinking contaminated municipal water in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where a “three-engine administration” was in power was allowed.
“You certainly make many promises to develop Thiruvananthapuram. Before you land in Thiruvananthapuram or after you leave the city, I hope you find time to visit Indore, which is often hailed as one of the cleanest cities in India. Such a label made it all the more inhumane when at least 15 people died after drinking contaminated municipal water. I hope you explain how this man-made disaster in the country recently became the 1st century,” he said in an open letter to the prime minister.
He said Mr. Modi should also explain to Kerala why the Union government is reluctant to help the victims of the Wayanad landslides.
MGNREGA is there
“I have been told that you will be addressing a public meeting at our iconic Putharikandam Maidan. When you deliver your speech, consider the landmark about 300 meters to your left. It is called Gandhi Park, named after the Father of the Nation himself, whose name you removed from the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. I request you to desist from your move to kill MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi’s Employment Guarantee Act) (Viksit Bharat – Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Guarantee) The air here is much less dangerous than in the state capital where you have been living for more than a decade now and where your party is at the helm of a twin-engine government,” he said.
Mr. Viswam also compared Mr. Modi’s visit to Thiruvananthapuram within 45 days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the civic elections to the Corporation with the 864 days it took him to visit Manipur after violence erupted in the state.
“Just as you can breathe in peace and health in Thiruvananthapuram, you can also speak freely in our state. Since Kerala has reminded you of foreign shores like Somalia in the past, I hope you will summon the will to break your self-imposed silence on Donald Trump (US President) and use the safe haven of Kerala to rescue the US President’s numerous statements by showing your pride in the US President. Humiliate you publicly and threatening the nation with one punitive measure after another, we would also like to know what you think of Mr. Trump’s indefensible action in Venezuela,” he said.
Published – 22 Jan 2026 20:32 IST
