Flood:Rahul reappears behind Sonia, tries to overshadow Modi
New Delhi, June 24: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who was missing at the moment when his countrymen were stranded in Uttarakhand due to flood, returned from his unknown tour in foreign country. The number 2 in the party made his first public appearance post flood havoc on Monday, June 24.
The
young
Gandhi
family
scion
was
seen
flagging
off
trucks
carrying
relief
material
for
the
victims
of
flash
floods
in
Uttarakhand.
He
was
accompanied
by
his
mother
Sonia
Gandhi
and
other
senior
Congress
leaders
such
as
--
Delhi
Chief
Minister
Sheila
Dikshit,
Union
Finance
Minister
P
Chidambaram,
AICC
General
Secretaries
Ambika
Soni
and
Ajay
Maken
and
many
others.
The latest move by Congress in the presence of Rahul clearly showed how the party leaders have been trying to overshadow Narendra Modi in connection with relief and rescue work in the flood-hit region.
The Gujarat Chief Minister earlier had visited the region on Saturday. According to media reports, the CM along with a team of senior officials had ensured the evacuation of 15,000 stranded Gujaratis from Uttarakhand.
The Congress, however, slammed Modi as the party called it, "a 'Rambo act' that reflected the rank opportunism and the sheer desperation to try and politicise and even milk tragedy for political gains."
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, hit back at the criticism questioning Rahul's absence during the time of crisis. BJP leader was quoted as saying, "All those who say that Narendra Modi should go back should search their souls. If Rahul Gandhi is needed and he is in a foreign country then let him be there."
Rahul had faced tremendous criticism over his recent disappearance act. However, party sources informed that the young leader would visit the flood-ravaged state on Monday.
Disaster Management minister Yashpal Arya was quoted as saying, "At least 5,000 people must have been killed in the deluge that inflicted heavy damage on vast tracts of land especially in Kedarnath valley."
The official death toll till Sunday was put at 680 while Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the death toll is likely to be around 1,000.
OneIndia News