Archive · 5 Sep 2026
BJP Blames Kerala Government for Thrissur Highway Accident Response
Eight students from Tamil Nadu died in a crash in Thrissur.
Their car hit a lorry that was parked beside NH-66.
The crash happened at Kaipamangalam on Friday night.
BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Kerala government was blaming the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India.
He said state officials should patrol roads and remove vehicles parked illegally.
He also said traffic rules were not being enforced properly.
Government representatives had raised concerns about repeated accidents and unsafe roads managed by the National Highways Authority of India.
Chandrasekhar called for responsibility and immediate safety improvements.
Eight students from Tamil Nadu died after their car hit a parked lorry on NH-66 in Kaipamangalam, Thrissur.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the Kerala government of shifting blame to the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India.
Chandrasekhar said state police and the Motor Vehicles Department are responsible for highway patrolling, enforcing traffic rules and acting against illegally parked vehicles.
He alleged the government prioritised collecting fines through artificial-intelligence cameras while failing to address serious violations by heavy vehicles.
Government representatives had raised concerns about recurring accidents and safety problems on roads maintained by the National Highways Authority of India.
- Who
- Eight students from Tamil Nadu died; BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticised the Kerala government.
- What
- A car hit a parked lorry on NH-66, causing a fatal accident.
- When
- The accident occurred on Friday night; Chandrasekhar's statement was reported on Saturday, September 5.
- Where
- Kaipamangalam in Thrissur, Kerala, on NH-66.
- Why
- The crash prompted a dispute over responsibility for highway safety, traffic enforcement and the allegedly illegal parking of the lorry.
BJP's Position
Government Concerns
Responsibility for the crash
BJP's Position
Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Kerala government was shifting blame to the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India to cover alleged state lapses.
Government Concerns
Government representatives raised concerns about recurring accidents and safety issues on roads maintained by the National Highways Authority of India.
Traffic enforcement
BJP's Position
The BJP said state police and the Motor Vehicles Department are responsible for patrolling highways, removing illegally parked vehicles and enforcing traffic rules.
Government Concerns
The article does not provide a detailed government response to Chandrasekhar's allegations.
Use of enforcement cameras
BJP's Position
Chandrasekhar criticised the government's focus on collecting fines through artificial-intelligence cameras while allegedly failing to act against serious heavy-vehicle violations.
Government Concerns
The article does not state the government's position on the use of artificial-intelligence cameras.
- Deaths
- Eight students from Tamil Nadu
- Crash location
- Kaipamangalam, Thrissur
- Road
- NH-66
- Vehicles involved
- A car and a parked lorry
- BJP spokesperson
- Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP state president
- State responsibilities cited
- Highway patrolling, action against illegally parked vehicles and traffic-rule enforcement
- Government concerns
- Recurring accidents and safety issues on roads maintained by the National Highways Authority of India