Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan on Friday (Nov 15) defended the central government's position on not declaring the Wayanad landslide as a national disaster. He criticized the CPM in Kerala for adopting an approach that treats the issue like "turning a goat into a dog.

The high expectations of Kerala government that the Wayanad tragedy would be declared as a national disaster suffered a jolt .

However, in a 2013 Lok Sabha reply, Mullappally Ramachandran, then Minister of State for Home under UPA-II, indicated that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster". Ramachandran is one of the senior Congress leaders from Kerala.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the central government over refusal to declare Wayanad landslides a national disaster

The Union government has officially stated that the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, cannot be declared a national disaster. Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs,

The central government has informed the Kerala government that the landslides and flash floods in Wayanad in July cannot be declared a "national disaster." Despite over 200 deaths and widespread destruction,

The Ministry of State for Home Affairs has informed KV Thomas, Kerala's Special Representative, that the Wayanad landslides cannot be declared a national disaster.