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BJP accused Congress leadership as the death toll from Wayanad landslide rose to eight after rescue teams recovered the body of the last person feared trapped.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (Image: Sansad TV/PTI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the Congress leadership of neglecting Wayanad in the aftermath of the recent landslide tragedy and alleged that the constituency had been reduced to a “political pawn” for the party’s first family.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan targeted Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, questioning her absence from the constituency following the July 7 landslide at the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project site in Kerala’s Wayanad district.
Read more: ‘Slope May Collapse Anytime’: Contractor’s Report Flagged Wayanad Landslide Risk
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), CR Kesavan said Priyanka Gandhi had failed to visit the affected area or meet the families of those killed in the disaster. He alleged that apart from issuing a social media post, she had not extended support to the victims or their relatives.
“Wayanad has become nothing but a political pawn for the Congress first family,” CR Kesavan said, accusing Priyanka Gandhi of neglecting the constituency. He also drew parallels with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tenure as Wayanad MP, claiming that local residents had often complained about his lack of engagement with the constituency.
He wrote, “Earlier when Rahul Gandhi was MP there, the overwhelming opinion was that he was hardly attentive and rarely visited the constituency.”
Read more: Wayanad Landslide Wasn’t Just A Natural Disaster. Did We Ignore Warning Signs In The Western Ghats?
The BJP leader further alleged that Rahul Gandhi had “hoodwinked” Wayanad voters by subsequently contesting from Rae Bareli after the Lok Sabha elections and claimed that the same style of politics was continuing under Priyanka Gandhi’s representation.
The remarks came as the death toll from the landslide rose to eight on Sunday after rescue teams recovered the body of the last person feared trapped under the debris.
The landslide occurred at Kalladi, where work is underway on the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at improving connectivity between Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
After search operations over the past five days failed to locate Vikram Rana, the final missing person, authorities mounted a large-scale search effort on Sunday. The operation involved personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Special Operations Group (SOG), Fire and Rescue Services, the Rapid Response Team, the Forest Department and youth volunteer organisations. With the recovery of the last body, search and rescue operations at the site were brought to a close.
Kerala, India, India
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