Tejasvi Surya's big claim on Wayanad: 'Illegal encroachment in disaster-prone areas, no action due to vote banks'

In a pointed critique, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has called out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the devastating landslides in Wayanad, which have tragically claimed nearly 160 lives.

Surya, speaking in the Lok Sabha, highlighted that during the 1,800 days of Gandhi's tenure as the MP for Wayanad, he had not once addressed the pressing issues of landslides and floods in either the Assembly or Parliament.

Surya emphasised the lack of action taken since the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority's 2020 recommendation to relocate 4,000 families from landslide-prone areas in Wayanad.

"Till today, no action has been taken, and the MP representing Wayanad has remained silent on this critical issue," he stated. He further criticised Kerala's Forest Minister, who acknowledged in the Assembly that illegal encroachments could not be removed due to pressure from various religious organisations.

He further went on to question the party's inability to remove these illegal encroachments due to the "vote bank" in Wayanad and surrounding areas. 

The comments sparked backlash from Congress and Left MPs, who accused Surya of politicising a tragedy.

Congress MP K C Venugopal responded vehemently, stating, "This issue was raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the House yesterday. There are no words to describe what happened in Wayanad. People are still buried under the soil. We do not want to politicise this issue."

Venugopal continued, emphasising the ongoing rescue efforts by both central and state agencies, and expressed his dismay over Surya's remarks. "It is very unfortunate that a member from the treasury benches is politicising the issue. We are all praying for saving lives," he added, noting that there was no Zero Hour scheduled for discussions on this critical matter.

Meanwhile, Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be visiting the affected areas on Thursday. The leaders aim to meet with families impacted by the natural disaster and assess the situation on the ground, according to party sources.

Initially scheduled to arrive in Wayanad on Wednesday morning, the visit was postponed due to adverse weather conditions, particularly continuous rainfall that hindered safe landing for the leaders.