Kerala Floods Affected Only Rich? Meet the Man Behind Viral Audio

The man behind the audio, Suresh Kochattil, spearheaded Hyderabad-chapter of Modi’s social media campaign in 2014.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Suresh Kochattil, head of Hyderabad chapter of prime minister Narendra Modi’s social media campaign during the 2014 elections, shot back into limelight for his controversial audio clip urging people to not send relief materials for the victims of Kerala floods because they mostly belong to “very well to do families”.

In a 11-minute viral audio clip, a text version of which is posted on his Facebook page too, Kochattil is heard saying, “ There seems to be a big build up of fund raising happening outside Kerala. However, most of the people who have been impacted by the floods are from very well to do families. They don’t need money, sanitary napkins or matchboxes or candles. They need nothing.”

He says the matchboxes and the candles are not required because “every house in Kerala has electricity and the power will come back in a week, after the water recedes.” Instead, he says, Kerala needs “trade representatives” like carpenters, electricians, plumbers and painters who will help in rebuilding the houses of “well to do families” who have been impacted by the floods.

He can also be heard casting doubts on the fund utilisation from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund and requesting people to contribute to the RSS’ Seva Bharathi NGO.

Step Out of Your Home to Know the Reality: Social Media Goes Ablaze

After the English audio clip was widely shared on WhatsApp even outside Kerala, Kochattil was not spared from all-round condemnation by people across Facebook and Twitter.

Taking him down, Editor-in-chief of The News Minute, Dhanya Rajendra, posted on Facebook, “Wish Suresh stepped out of his house and went to camps where thousands of poor people are wondering what next in their lives.”

Twitter too was ablaze with flak from Kochattil’s comments.

Not the First Time!

However, this was not the first time, Kochattil attempted to downplay the deluge.

On 16 August, when CPI(M) Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian broke down on Malayalam news channel Asianet begging for help and helicopters for his people trapped in the floods, Kochattil wrote on Twitter, “MLA Saji Cherian sheds crocodile tears and wants 50k people in Chengannur to be airlifted. He does not know how many people can be airlifted in one sortie and how many sorties can be made in one day by a single helicopter. “

Who is Suresh Kochattil?

Suresh Kochattil spearheaded the Hyderabad chapter of social media campaign for prime minister Narendra Modi before the 2014 elections. His Facebook profile reads “Works at Social Media at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”.

On 12 August, 2018 he posted on Twitter that he has decided to “go full steam into the campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.”