Wayanad: In a bid to take stock of relief measures after the disastrous floods and landslides, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began a three-day visit to his parliamentary constituency of Wayanad in Kerala on Tuesday.
Rahul said he would continue to put pressure on the centre and state government to ensure that those affected were justly compensated.
In Kerala for the second time this month, the Wayanad MP also said he will raise in Parliament the issue of crop loss in the floods.
Rahul was on a four-day visit to Wayanad earlier from August 11 to 14. Subsequently, he had raised the issue of floods in Kerala with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his help.
Addressing people at Cherupuzha in Mananthavady, Rahul said during floods, it did not matter which religion, community or political party one belonged to, everybody worked together to fight the deluge.
"In today's atmosphere you are a huge example to the whole country... The country can learn a lesson from you. Only when the country stands together,it progresses," he said.
Wayanad was one of the worst hit areas in Kerala when a second spell of monsoon rains triggered landslides and floods this month. Twelve people died and five people are still reported missing after a deadly landslide hit Meppadi in this district on August 8.
Rahul, who arrived at the Kannur International Airport at 12:15pm, visited various camps and distributed relief materials on Tuesday.
The congress leader also sought the support of Kerala's ruling left in the development of Wayanad.
"We can continue to fight ideologically, but we can also have a vision for the development of Wayanad," he said.
The Wayanad MP met people in various relief camps and distributed relief materials, listened to their woes and comforted them.
Some said their houses had been destroyed and lands washed away, while others complained that the initial relief amount of Rs 10,000 from the state government was yet to reach them.
Rahul assured them that he would once again urge the state government to provide all necessary assistance to the affected people.
A weeping woman said she had no place to go back to from the relief camp.
People also told him that their children were finding it difficult to go to school from the camp after the disaster as most of them had lost their books, bags and other things.
