India News | 'Thanks, You Spared Time for Landslide-hit State After 2 Months': Himachal BJP's Jibe at Priyanka

Shimla, Sep 12 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh BJP on Tuesday took a swipe at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, thanking her for visiting the monsoon-ravaged state two months after it faced devastating rains and landslides.

Gandhi, who visited rain-affected areas of Kullu and Mandi districts and reviewed relief and restoration works, urged the Centre to rise above "party politics" without taking into consideration whether there is a Congress or BJP government in the state.

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BJP spokespersons Balbir Verma and Vivek Sharma alleged Congress leaders "are busy attacking the Sanatan Dharma" and did not get time to visit the state.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, they said Gandhi should have asked the state government to open all the roads at the earliest if the Congress dispensation was indeed a well-wisher of apple-growers.

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"Thanks, you spared time for rain and landslide-hit state after two months," the statement said, targeting Gandhi.

They asked Congress Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to "stop lamenting" about paucity of funds and speed up relief and rehabilitation operations.

The BJP leaders said about 22 lakh Women are awaiting the release of Rs 1,500 per month relied, the promise of giving 5-lakh jobs is yet to be fulfilled even as the Staff Selection Commission has been scrapped.

They asked the chief minister to raise loans for helping the disaster-hit people.

Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur also asked the government to accelerate relief and restoration works and said that instead of making announcements, concrete actions are required to help people whose houses, farms and crops have been destroyed and are who are sheltered in relief camps.

"Roads are closed, fruit-growers are worried as apple and vegetables are not reaching the markets. Water and electricity have not been restored at many places and the government must act fast and stop making alibis," he said in a statement.

Since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 12, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses of Rs 8,679 crore. About 270 people have died in rain-related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.

As many as 165 landslides and 72 flash floods were reported during the monsoon season. Out of the 111 deaths in landslides, 94 were reported in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts, while 18 out of 19 deaths due to flash floods were also witnessed in these districts.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)