Thankfully, floods are in news as BJP, Congress throw stones, muck at each other

Now, both the Congress and the BJP are talking about floods to score political points.

New Delhi, August 5: The issue is flood, but once again, unfortunately, politics has taken over it.

Hardly, we see our politicians and the media talking about things affecting people. If ever they highlight any topic, it has to have a political connection to it. This is the plight of Indian voters, they have elected leaders who hardly talk about their problems and they have the media that is too obsessed with politicians.

From Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha to West Bengal, floods have created havoc in large parts of the country. At least 700 people have died due to floods in the last two months across the country. Lakhs of people have lost their homes and agricultural lands in the flood-affected areas.

It's a massive human tragedy. By now national emergency should have been declared to provide prompt relief measures to the flood-hit people. But that is not the case. Once again, politicians are busy throwing stones and muck at each other.

Why is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat defending stone-pelters who attacked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's car in Banasakantha when he came to meet the flood-affected people in the area on Friday?

Instead of condemning the attack and ensuring the arrest of the culprits, the chief minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, tweeted, "The perpetual tourist Rahul Gandhi came to Gujarat but the people of Gujarat are asking--where are our (Congress) MLAs in this crucial time? Instead of another photo-op, it would have been better had Rahul and the Congress devoted time to proper relief work in flooded areas."

"People of Gujarat know the tricks of the Congress too well. Their anti-people, anti-Gujarat mindset is not a secret," Rupani added.

In reply to Rupani's tweet, senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said, "This is the first time a head of the state stoops this low and backs stone-pelters instead of taking action against the accused. Rupaniji, you are head of the state, not an RSS puppet."

Thankfully, after receiving flak from Congress leaders and supporters for condoning violence, Rupani once again tweeted, this time condemning the violent incident.

"I condemn the unfortunate attack on Rahul Gandhi's convoy. I have instructed officers to take strict action against those responsible," Rupani tweeted.

The BJP leaders and spokespersons in the national capital also did not show any "sympathy" towards Rahul, instead they further attacked him.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "For God's sake, don't call people goons. Don't call the public of this country rowdy elements, people who are suffering from floods, people who are tired of this kind of politics that Rahul Gandhi and his party are doing. Let's respect people's emotions."

After Rahul's car was attacked, Congress leaders alleged that the entire incident had the backing of the BJP and the attackers were "goons".

When Rahul's convoy was passing through Dhanel in Banaskantha district, a group of people chanting "Modi, Modi" and holding black flags in their hands threw stones at the travelling motorcade.

A few concrete structures ended up damaging the Congress VP's car. The stones broke rear windowpanes of the car in which Rahul was travelling. Although nothing happened to him, Rahul's SPG personnel got injured in the violent incident.

In Gujarat, "flood" politics has been played by both the parties with great noise as the state is all set to hold the crucial Rajya Sabha polls on August 8. Already the election to one of the Rajya Sabha seats from which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is contesting has showcased the "dirty" political designs of our leaders.

After six Congress MLAs left the party to join the BJP, the Congress in its attempt to stop further "poaching" is keeping 43 of its MLAs in a resort nearby Bengaluru, Karnataka, where the Congress is in power.

The Income Tax (IT) sleuths are conducting raids in properties of Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar, who was in-charge of the Gujarat MLAs, since the last four days.

The Congress has called the IT raids against Shivakumar as "vendetta" politics, the BJP, on its part, alleged that the Gujarat MLAs, who are supposed to help flood victims in their state, are have a "good" time in the resort.

Patel, the central character of the current fight between the BJP and the Congress, tweeted about the stone attack: "Is this possible without state's connivance? Action against officials responsible must be initiated immediately."

Rahul said he won't be intimidated by such attacks. "They are cowards. I will tell you why they fear. Those who are with truth, who understands truth, need not fear. Mahatma Gandhi taught this to the entire country. We can't be intimidated by Modi slogans, black flags and stones. We will stand with the people with all our might," he said.

In Assam, where at least 83 people have died due to floods, the Congress and the BJP are engaged in a verbal duel to prove who is more concerned about the plight of the people.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Gujarat recently, senior Congress leader and former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi targeted him.

"Assam floods claimed 76 lives, Narendra Modi never visited and his government has not released adequate funds," Gogoi has tweeted.

Afterwards, the PM came to Guwahati, Assam, where he had several meetings with the CMs of various northeastern states to take stock of the flood and landslide situations in the region.

He also announced Rs 2,000 crore relief package for the entire Northeast to help flood and landslide-hit people. Modi was once again criticised for not meeting the affected people and releasing a "meagre" amount of flood relief funds for Assam.

Rahul immediately followed Modi and visited Assam earlier this week.

During his Assam visit, Rahul told flood-affected people of Lakhimpur district that his party would fight for their adequate compensation and rehabilitation. Lakhimpur district in Upper Assam is one of the worst flood-affected parts of the state.

"There are floods in Assam and I thought I must come to meet you and hear about your pain and understand the situation," Rahul told the people. "I will fight for compensation, which is your right," he added.

He also criticised both the state and the central governments for "neglecting" the flood-hit locals of the northeastern state.

Rahul also visited Devda village in Jalore district of Rajasthan to take stock of the situation caused by floods on Friday. Fortunately, his Rajasthan visit was free from any controversial event.

Like in Assam and Gujarat, the BJP is also in power in Rajasthan. Rajasthan visit of Rahul was a quiet affair, maybe as destruction caused by floods in the state is lesser than that of Assam and Gujarat. While 224 people have died in floods in Gujarat, around 17 people lost their lives in Rajasthan.

Or, unlike in Gujarat, no election is scheduled in the near future in Rajasthan. There might be several reasons for these fights, but every time politicians make sure to hijack human tragedies and get busy attacking each other.

From agrarian crisis to floods, both the BJP and the Congress ensured that relief does not reach the "victims" as they continue with their tu tu main main (arguments and bickering).

And our television studios simply love these shrill and cheap arguments presented by political parties in defence for not working for the janata (people).

OneIndia News