KOTTAYAM: Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha (RS) member Alphons Kannanthanam has courted controversy after allegedly violating Covid-19 protocol while conducting his mother’s funeral. He had announced through social media that his mother died of Covid. Kannanthanam on Monday posted a clarification on his Facebook page saying that his mother had tested Covid negative five days before her death.
It all commenced when Kannanthanam posted a video on his FB page on August 14, announcing his charity programme ‘Mother’s Meal’, an initiative to provide food to 1,000 people across the country on Independence Day. In the video, he is seen saying that his mother Brijith Joseph died of Covid-19 at AIIMS, New Delhi, on June 10. Her body was airlifted to Kannanthanam’s native Manimala in Kottayam for the funeral four days later.
Following this, activist Jomon Puthenpurackal said ‘it was shocking to know that Kannanthanam’s mother died of Covid as several people, including him, had attended the funeral unbeknownst of the risk involved.’ “Kannanthanam never mentioned his mother died of Covid,” Jomon said. Once both social media and television channels took up the news, Kannanthanam clarified saying, “She tested Covid positive on May 28 and was admitted to the ICU in AIIMS, New Delhi. However, she tested negative for Covid on June 5. Though she was cured of the infection, it damaged her vital organs grievously. On June 10, her lungs stopped functioning and she died of a heart seizure. So is it wrong to say that she died of Covid?”.
Speaking to TNIE, Kannanthanam expressed strong displeasure over the furore in social media even after realising that there isn’t an iota of truth in it. Kannanthanam also posted a copy of his mother’s test results to back his clarification.