Kerala High Court slams LDF, UDF for ‘insensitive’ protest bandh in Wayanad

The Kerala High Court on Friday strongly criticised the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) for organising a dawn-to-dusk hartal (closed-down establishments in protest) in landslide-hit area of Wayanad on November 19, terming it “irresponsible” and “unacceptable”.
A division bench comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and KV Jayakumar questioned the justification for the hartal, especially in a district grappling with the aftermath of a major natural disaster. The court expressed disappointment, asking, “Was a hartal the only way to protest?”
The hartal, spearheaded by both political fronts, was intended to protest against the central government’s perceived delay in declaring the landslide calamity in Wayanad a national disaster and providing adequate financial assistance for relief and rehabilitation.
The court noted that staging such a protest in an area already ravaged by landslides and struggling to recover was inappropriate. It questioned the rationale behind the LDF’s involvement, considering it forms the ruling government in the state.
“Deciding to hold a hartal in a disaster-hit area shows poor judgement and lacks sensitivity,” the court remarked during a hearing of a suo motu plea on the prevention and management of natural disasters in the state.
The central government informed the court that the process of providing financial assistance for rehabilitation and relief efforts was ongoing. It said Rs 153 crore had already been allocated to the state from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) for emergency relief operations.
However, the Kerala government has pegged the total losses from the disaster at Rs 2,219 crore and is pressing for additional assistance from the Union government.
The landslides in Wayanad claimed over 200 lives and caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure. While both the LDF and UDF argue that their protest aimed to draw attention to the plight of survivors, the High Court’s sharp remarks have added to the political debate surrounding the response to the disaster. The court has now urged all stakeholders to focus on effective relief and rehabilitation rather than engaging in disruptive protests.