Kerala Home Minister dismisses reports of rift with KSU over pleader appointment

On July 18, 2026, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala dismissed reports of differences between Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) over a government pleader's appointment, stating any issues would be resolved internally. The KSU objected to appointing a former SFI leader as a government pleader. Chennithala also praised Operation Toofan, an anti-drug campaign, and warned medical shops against dispensing medicines without prescriptions. He clarified that decisions on security cover for former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are made by the Security Review Committee, not him.