Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday strongly criticized the BJP-led central government for refusing to classify the devastating landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, as a national disaster, accusing the government of blocking vital aid for the affected communities.
In a statement on social media platform X, Vadra expressed her outrage, saying, “Despite the catastrophic landslides that ravaged Wayanad, the BJP government has refused to declare it a national disaster, denying critical relief to those in urgent need. This is not just negligence; it’s a shocking injustice to the people who have suffered unimaginable loss. The people of Wayanad deserve far better.”
Vadra, who had contested the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election following her brother Rahul Gandhi’s resignation from the seat, also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She pointed out that while Modi had visited the region in the wake of the tragedy and witnessed its impact firsthand, his government was now “withholding essential aid and politicizing the crisis.” She also drew attention to similar delays in assistance to disaster-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh, alleging political motives behind the slow response.
The landslides, which occurred in July, resulted in the tragic loss of over 200 lives and caused widespread destruction in the region. In response to the devastation, the Kerala state government had written to Prime Minister Modi in August, urging the central government to declare the calamity a national disaster and provide additional federal support for relief and rehabilitation.
However, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a letter dated November 10, clarified that under the existing guidelines for the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), there is no provision to officially declare such incidents as a “national disaster.” The Kerala government had hoped for a more significant federal intervention, citing the scale of the tragedy and the urgent need for rehabilitation.
Despite the central government’s position, the people of Wayanad continue to face severe challenges as they recover from the aftermath of the landslides, with many still awaiting essential relief and rehabilitation support.
