Congress slams BJP MP for linking Rahul's Kedarnath visit to Nepal quake

New Delhi, Apr 27: Congress on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah alleging "motor mouth offenders" of the ruling party were trying to "communalise and politicise" Nepal tragedy.

It was after MP Sakshi Maharaj reportedly ascribed the earthquake in Nepal to Rahul Gandhi's visit to Kedarnath temple. [Rahul Gandhi treks to Kedarnath]

"...In a most unfortunate and petty manner, certain habitual motor mouth offenders of the BJP, cohorts of the Prime Minister and BJP President Amit Shah, are trying to communalise and politicise a grave human tragedy.

"If media reports are to be believed, BJP leader and MP Sakshi Maharaj now famous for asking women to produce 10 babies, eulogising the killers of Mahatma Gandhi are now ascribing the earthquake in Nepal to Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bhagwan Kedarnath," party spokesperson Sushmita Dev told reporters at the AICC briefing.

Dev said in doing so, he has not only "denigrated" all those who have faith in Bhagwan Kedarnath but the victims of this huge tragedy.

"It will be better if the PM and Amit Shah stop perpetuating rabid politics that has now reached the stage of denigrating even Bhagwan Kedarnath through his chosen cohorts.We demand that the PM and Amit Shah take immediate action against Sakshi Maharaj," she said.

Reports had it, BJP MP Saksha Maharaj and VHP functionary Sadhvi Prachi linked the earthquake in Nepal to Rahul Gandhi's Kedarnath visit.

Speaking to media in Haridwar, Sakshi Maharaj reportedly said that since Rahul Gandhi...went to the holy shrine without purifying himself, the earthquake was bound to happen.

While slamming the BJP leader's remarks, Dev said our attention and efforts at this time should be aimed at relief, rescue and rehabilitation.

She also chose the occasion to flag the need to have concrete plan of action to mitigate disaster caused by Earth quakes in the NCR region.

"It is equally alarming to see that the capital of India – Delhi as also the National Capital Region(NCR) has no approved state disaster management and mitigation plan," she said.

Dev said that the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) formulated the draft policy way back in March 2014, and the National Disaster Management Authority has seen presentations on it but since March 2014 there has been no progress in finalising the report.

"The government and NDMA- both of which are headed by the PM are requested to pay immediate attention to finalise the plan," she said.

The Congress spokesperson said that her party MPs have decided to donate one month's salary.

PTI