Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 17 (IANS): The Kerala unit of the CPI-M on Saturday sought the immediate intervention of the Prime Minister and the national leadership of the BJP to reign in Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan for his curt remarks and frequent attacks on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The CPI-M acting secretary A. Vijayaraghavan said Muraleedharan's words and utterances, especially against Vijayan, are unbecoming of the post that he holds.

"It's high time that the Prime Minister and the party leadership intervene to reign in Muraleedharan. As a Union Minister he has failed to do anything for Kerala and instead he is attacking Vijayan all the time. Vijayan had won accolades for the way he led the state from the front, especially when the Covid pandemic struck hard and Muraleedharan has not been able to do anything to help the state," said Vijayaraghavan.

What really hurt the CPI-M was when Muraleedharan called Vijayan a 'Covidiot' following the way he conducted himself after he turned Covid positive and the manner in which he returned home after turning Covid negative with his wife who was at that time positive.

"All wish to know what he (Muraleedharan) did to help the thousands of our diaspora who were suffering during the time when the pandemic broke out. He failed to do anything at all and now see there is a shortage of vaccines and what is he doing. It was unbecoming of a Union Minister to behave in the way he has been doing," added Vijayaraghavan.

Incidentally, early on Saturday it was former Union Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram who first attacked Muraleedharan for his remarks against Vijayan.