Wayanad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited flood-hit areas in and around his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, including the worst-hit Puthumala region on Monday. Gandhi urged the Modi-led Centre to ' aggressively support' the people hit by floods and landslides in the Southern states.
“It is a tragedy not only for Wayanad but for Kerala and also some southern states,” Gandhi told reporters in Kalpetta after attending a review meeting with government officials on the flood situation.
Gandhi, who is currently visiting people affected by floods and landslides in Wayanad, mentioned that he had already spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Kerala flood issue.
"I spoke to the Prime Minister and I mentioned to him some of the details that I knew about Kerala and Wayanad.
He added that both Central and state governments should take measures to provide compensation to the flood-hit people as soon as possible.
Refusing to take political questions, he said: "I don't want to politicise this thing. Here we all are working together. There is a disaster. The whole Wayanad is working together, the political parties are working together."
The Wayanad MP visited flood-hit areas in his constituency and assured all help to those hit by the calamity to rebuild their lives.
Earlier, talking to affected people lodged in a relief camp at Meppadi, Gandhi said the Congress party will put pressure on the centre and state governments to ensure compensation for the affected people.
"I want to assure everybody that even though we are in the opposition we will put as much pressure as possible on the government to ensure that people who have lost their property are compensated for it," the Congress leader said.
At Puthumala, where a landslide had wreaked havoc in the area, Gandhi said many people are feared to be still trapped beneath the debris.
"I visited the epicentre of Puthumala landslide at Meppadi in Wayanad. This is the site of a terrible landslide that destroyed an entire village, many people are still feared to be trapped & rescue work is ongoing," he tweeted.
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. Were going to stand with you, were going to help you and were going to make sure that you're able to rebuild your lives," Gandhi told them.
Gandhi also extended his Eid greetings to the people. "Let us take the spirit of Eid to help all our brothers and sisters who are in pain and in suffering today," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
