Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Keralam Health Minister Muraleedharan in verbal duel over AIIMS

Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi and Keralam Health Minister K. Muraleedharan on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) engaged in a verbal row over the establishment of an AIIMS in the State.While Mr. Gopi dared Mr. Muraleedharan to sit and discuss the matter with him, the latter brushed aside the challenge, stating that he does not see the Union Minister as a politician.The verbal duel began after Mr. Gopi was told by reporters in Kochi that Mr. Muraleedharan had allegedly said that the Union Minister was making statements about establishing an AIIMS without being aware of the entire facts. Irked by that, Mr. Gopi responded: ”ask him to come and sit with me on the issue if he has the courage for it.”At the same time, the Union Minister also said that he was not sure if Mr. Muraleedharan had made any such statement. He also said that he was tired of explaining repeatedly about the Central and State lists in the Constitution. “Health is a State subject, but the Union government provides infrastructural support. We want AIIMS in all States. The State government has to identify the location according to the prescribed parameters,” Mr. Gopi said.“AIIMS for Keralam should not be delayed. But the appropriate place for it is Thrissur,” he said.He said that if the State government was against an AIIMS in Thrissur because there was a BJP MP and Minister from there, then it would be set up in the district only.Mr. Gopi further said that while Thrissur was accessible from all parts of the State, from an economic standpoint, Alappuzha was the appropriate place for an AIIMS.He also said that he had told the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in February 2026 to add Alappuzha to the list. “I also told him that a government should come to power that considers Thrissur for setting up an AIIMS. Only then will the premier medical institute come to Keralam,” he claimed.When reporters told Mr. Muraleedharan about Mr. Gopi’s challenge, the former said he was not going to accept it as he did not consider him as a politician. Taking a dig at Mr. Gopi, the Health Minister said that it was thanks to the Union Minister’s service that his party went to the third position in all seats in Thrissur in the Assembly polls.The Minister further said: “let him take the initiative to establish an AIIMS anywhere he can in Keralam. If he thinks there is a good location in his constituency, let him say that. I have an open mind on this matter.” The Minister said that proposals had come for setting up the AIIMS at Vaikom in Kottayam district, Chalakudy in Thrissur district as well as Kasaragod and Kozhikode districts. “However, we have not yet received a proposal for a fifth location,” he said. Published - October 06, 2026 08:06 pm IST