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'Felt the same when my father died': Rahul Gandhi on Wayanad tragedy
Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal arrived in Wayanad earlier today.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said it was painful to see the destruction caused by landslides in Kerala's Wayanad. Gandhi – who visited his former parliamentary constituency along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – said he was feeling the same emotions that he felt when his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, died in 1991.
"It is a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, for Kerala and the nation. We have come here to see the situation. It is painful to see how many people have lost family members and their houses. We will try to help and make sure that the survivors get what is their due,” Gandhi said while addressing reporters.
“A lot of them want to be relocated. There is a lot that needs to be done here. I would like to thank all those, including doctors, nurses, administration and volunteers," he added.
The massive landslides struck Mundakkai and Churalmala in Wayanad in the early hours of July 30, causing extensive destruction. About 250 people have been killed and over 200 have been injured. The rescue teams are racing against time to trace the missing people.
Also Read | Wayanad tragedy: How Kerala can improve its early warning systems for landslides
Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal arrived in Wayanad earlier today. They visited the landslide-affected area of Chooralmalaand a hospital and community health centre in Meppadi.
During his interaction with reporters, Rahul Gandhi turned emotional.
“Today, I feel how I felt when my father (Rajiv Gandhi) died. Here, people have not just lost a father but an entire family. We all owe these people respect and affection,” Gandhi said. "The whole nation's attention is towards Wayanad."
Also Read | Opposition urge Centre to declare Wayanad landslides a ‘national disaster’
He also urged that no politics should be done and that it was the time to prioritise aid and assistance to Wayanad.
“I don't think this is the time or place to talk about political issues. People here require help. The time right now is to make sure that all assistance comes,” Rahul Gandhi said. "I am not interested in politics right now. I am interested in the people of Wayanad."
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that her party is there to offer as much comfort and support as possible.
“We have spent the entire day meeting people who have suffered. It's an immense tragedy. We can only imagine the kind of pain the people are enduring. We are here to offer as much comfort and support as possible,” Priyanka said.
“There has been a similar tragedy in Himachal Pradesh as well. Tomorrow, we plan to convene and outline how we can assist, especially the children who have been left alone,” she added.
