Kerala Health Minister Veena George has confirmed in the state assembly that the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Kerala’s proposal to set up AIIMS in Kinalur, Kozhikode. However, the news has triggered a political debate between Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat rivals – Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The two leaders had a heated exchange on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter). While Tharoor criticised the BJP’s ‘deceptive’ promises, Rajeev Chandrasekhar hit back by calling the Congress MP a ‘smooth talker, a do-nothing, a liar’.
It is noteworthy that this will be the first AIIMS established in Kerala.
Shashi Tharoor posted on Twitter that no MP can promise to set up the prestigious AIIMS in Kerala, especially at a place of their choice. Tharoor, a Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, mentioned that despite his ‘best efforts and intense lobbying’ for AIIMS in his Lok Sabha constituency, the central government accepted the CPI(M)-run Kerala government’s proposal to set up AIIMS in Kozhikode.
“I honestly told voters that the state government had chosen Kozhikode and that was the only option available to the Centre. Yesterday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed the state assembly that the central government has accepted Kerala’s proposal to set up AIIMS at Kinalur in Kozhikode,” Tharoor posted.
Shashi Tharoor took a dig at his BJP rival Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, saying, “Shame on those BJP candidates who have misled voters by promising the contrary!”
I had said during the election campaign that no MP can promise to set up AIIMS at any place of his choice – it depends on what the state government proposes and the central government agrees to. Despite my best efforts and intense lobbying for AIIMS in my constituency,…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 30, 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar hit back at Tharoor’s jibe, calling the Congress MP a “smooth talker, do-nothing, liar”.
Rajiv Chandrasekhar apparently hit back at Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a sharp tone and abused him. Tharoor has been elected MP from Thiruvananthapuram for the fourth consecutive time. Chandrasekhar had tried to usurp Tharoor’s throne in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, Chandrasekhar faced a unanimous defeat.
“This Congress MP who has represented Thiruvananthapuram for 15 years and not fulfilled any of his promises – from building Barcelona to High Court Bench etc (the list is embarrassingly long), is today talking (almost in relief) about Kozhikode getting AIIMS – this would not have happened if any BJP/NDA MP had represented TVM and fought for it – which I will do,” Chandrasekhar alleged.
“The reality is that @BJP4Keralam, PM @narendramodi Ji and I will do more for all the people of Thiruvananthapuram in the next five years than those smooth-talking, do-nothing, lying people who have been sitting there for so many years,” Chandrasekhar said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the NDA candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram seat, vowed to give priority to getting an AIIMS in the constituency if elected.
