Rahul, Priyanka to lead agitation in Parliament against Centre’s neglect of Wayanad

Party leader and Kalpetta MLA T Siddique described the Centre’s alleged reluctance to provide financial aid to the people in landslide-affected areas as an “inhuman” approach.

He said that, besides Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he, as the local MLA, had also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of the landslide survivors during his visit soon after the tragedy.

Although the prime minister had promised full support, not even one per cent of justice had been delivered by Modi or the Union government led by him in relation to that assurance, he alleged.

“It is an inhuman approach towards the people who have suffered such a massive tragedy,” he said, adding that the Congress party would intensify its protests both inside and outside Parliament against this.

“Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi will lead the agitation,” Siddique told reporters in New Delhi.

Both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF have been demanding the BJP-led union government to declare the landslide calamity as a national disaster and provide required assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of the survivors at the earliest.

The state recently witnessed an intense political row following the Centre’s recent letter to the state government stating that under the existing guidelines of SDRF and NDRF, there is no provision to declare any calamity a ‘national disaster”.

The disaster, which struck on July 30, devastated large parts of three villages –Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai–along with sections of Attamala in Wayanad.

As per the government, the deadly disaster claimed 231 lives, while 47 people are still missing. PTI LGK KH