Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday firmly rejected the Opposition’s accusations that his government was responsible for the collapse of an under-construction elevated section of National Highway-66 (NH-66) in Malappuram. He laid the blame on the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), asserting that the project was inherited from the previous Congress-led government.

“The full responsibility for highway construction lies with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),” Vijayan stated, distancing his government from direct accountability. He said the CPI(M)-led administration had merely taken over a project that the Congress had abandoned “halfway,” adding that the Congress had “no moral right to criticise.”

The rebuttal came a day after Opposition leader VD Satheesan tore into both the Centre and the Kerala government, alleging irregularities and calling the highway construction "unscientific."

“Nobody wants to put up flex boards and take credit now,” Satheesan said sarcastically, referencing earlier promotions surrounding the ambitious infrastructure work. “Who is responsible, the Chief Minister, the state, or the Centre?”

The incident in question occurred on Monday, when a portion of the under-construction six-lane NH-66 near Kooriyad in Malappuram district caved in, sending a protective wall crashing onto a parked car. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Satheesan also criticised the timing and speed of the project, suggesting it had been fast-tracked to yield political dividends before elections. He flagged several safety concerns, including damaged drinking water pipelines and the absence of planned underpasses, warning that the situation could worsen with the arrival of monsoon rains.