Lalu meets flood victims , says ‘they are lucky to have got Gangajal in their houses’
PATNA : In an utterly insensitive remark, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday told flood victims in his state that they are lucky as not everybody gets Gangajal in his home.
Notably, Ganga and other major rivers have submerged vast swathes of Bihar, forcing thousands from their homes. The disaster has so far claimed 14 lives, including nine in Bhojpur district alone. Lalu met flood victims who were complaining of the government’s response and said: “Not everybody gets Gangajal in his home. You are lucky. Ganga will save everyone.”
The former Bihar chief minister’s comment came on the day when flood victims held demonstrations across Bihar, expressing anger and impatience over the quality and quantity of government aid that has so far been provided to them. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of the flood situation in the state.
With over one million people affected by floods and the situation remaining grim, district officials, particularly block development officers, and circle officers, are facing the fury of victims complaining about inadequate relief supplies. Over a dozen teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the flood-hit districts.
Officials said standing crops worth crores of rupees have been damaged and road communications at several places have been flooded.
