Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi visits relief camps, asks for help from Centre
WAYANAD: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, today demanded the centre’s “full support” to make up for the losses in flood-ravaged Kerala’s Wayanad, one of the worst-hit districts. Mr Gandhi, who lost his family turf Amethi in the recent Lok Sabha election, represents the constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Seventy-six people have died over the last three days in Kerala – which is yet to recover from the worst flood it faced in a century.”I don’t want to politicise this thing. Here we are all working together. There is a disaster, so I don’t want to apportion blame. The whole Wayanad is working together,” Mr Gandhi told reporters.
Mr Gandhi reached Kerala yesterday – a day after the leadership crisis in the Congress was sorted after a day-long meeting of the Working Committee, the party’s top decision-making body. Rahul Gandhi’s mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was named the party’s interim chief.
He met the district collector of his constituency Wayanad to review the flood situation in the state of Kerala. Rahul Gandhi is currently on a two-day visit to the state to oversee relief measures as Kerala is ravaged by floods and landslides.
Coming out of the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that people are facing issues of compensation and rehabilitation. He also said that Congress has assured compensation to those who have lost their houses.
Reacting to the flood situation, Rahul Gandhi also called on the Centre to support the rehabilitation efforts in Kerala and other Southern states. He said that he had also spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the flood situation and rescue efforts and asked for full support from the Centre.
“I spoke to the PM and told him to make sure that the Centre gives full support. It’s up to them. People need to be rehabilitated and both governments (state and Centre) are responsible,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“There is a disaster and we are working together. I don’t want to blame anyone. All political parties are working together. I have given my recommendations as an MP,” he said.
Rahul visited flood-affected areas in his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, including worst-hit Puthumala and assured all help to those hit by the calamity to rebuild their lives. At Puthumala, where a landslide had wreaked havoc in the area, Gandhi said many people are feared to be still trapped beneath the debris.
He interacted with people in relief camps at Meppadi in Wayanad and Kaithapoil in Kozhikode district. “I know it is a difficult time but I request you not to worry about your future. We’re going to stand with you, we’re going to help you and we’re going to make sure that you’re able to rebuild your lives,” Gandhi told them.
The death toll in Kerala increased to 76 on Monday, while in Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra 97 people have lost their lives so far due to the monsoon fury, as per official data.This morning, Mr Gandhi appealed people to come to the aid of the locals.
“We are in urgent need of materials, including water bottles, sleeping mats, blankets, undergarments, dhothis, nightgowns, children’s apparel, slippers, sanitary napkins, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, Dettol, soap powder, bleaching powder and chlorine,” he said in an appeal published on Twitter.(With Agency Inputs ).
