Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is in the firing line from the Opposition for using a helicopter hired by the State government primarily as an air ambulance and for other emergencies for an alleged personal visit to Kochi.

Mr. Satheesan reportedly flew aboard the helicopter from Golf Club in Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi on Friday to visit his father-in-law, who was undergoing treatment. However, inclement weather prevented the helicopter from landing, and it returned to Thiruvananthapuram. Reports suggest the journey was made later.

CPI(M) State committee member M.B. Rajesh slammed Mr. Satheesan for using the helicopter “for personal purposes, with prime-time actors in [his] lap remaining in silent mode”, in an oblique criticism of prime-time television anchors for not covering the issue. As Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Satheesan had criticised the then LDF government for its “extravagance” in hiring the helicopter.

Another State committee member of the CPI(M), V. Sivankutty, also mocked Mr. Satheesan’s flight as a ‘U-turn’ by the helicopter. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan defended the Chief Minister’s use of the chopper, saying modes of transport change with the times. He also contended that “nobody was criticised earlier for travelling by helicopter”.

However, social media was abuzz with criticism over the helicopter journey, with many users digging up old posts by Mr. Satheesan and other Congress leaders criticising the then State government and then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for hiring the helicopter. The Chief Minister’s Office did not respond to messages seeking clarification.

(With agency inputs) 

Published - August 02, 2026 12:37 am IST