Rahul Gandhi visits Kerala, asks Centre to help victims

Wayanad (Kerala): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited flood-hit areas in his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, including worst-hit Puthumala, and urged the Centre to “aggressively support” the people hit by floods and landslides in Southern states.

“It is a tragedy not only for Wayanad, but for Kerala and also some southern states. This is not only a Wayanad issue, this is a Kerala issue, this is a Karnataka issue. I think the Central government needs to pay attention and aggressively support the people of these states,” the Congress leader told reporters in Kalpetta after attending a review meeting with government officials on the flood situation in his Lok Sabha constituency.

Mr Gandhi, who is currently visiting people affected by floods and landslides in Wayanad, said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Kerala flood issue.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister and I mentioned to him some of the details that I knew about Kerala and Wayanad. And I told him to make sure that central government gives full support,” he said in response to a question on the central aid to Wayanad ravaged by floods and landslides.

He said both Central and state governments should take measures to provide compensation to the flood-hit people as soon as possible.