Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra undertook a visit to the rain-ravaged Wayanad district of Kerala on Thursday—three days after the catastrophic landslides in the district have so far taken a toll of over 280.
Their visit was also embroiled in controversy on social media platforms with people raising their eyebrows over the timing and purpose of the visit, inviting criticism against the two leaders.
Reacting to the same, BJP's Shivam Tyagi went on X, saying, "Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Wayanad disaster is three days delayed and looks more of a fashion show rather than being serious about it. With 232 cameras, 20 security personnel, and an aide specifically assigned for sandals, it seems his visit was more about his self-image than the crisis.
Tyagi, in his message in Hindi, expressed the seeming delay and questioned the sincerity of the visit.
Vivek Singh Paliwal reacted thus: "With 256 casualties and innumerable injuries from the Wayanad landslide, the prince saw it as a perfect opportunity for a photo op. Hence, he arrived with his entourage and cameras." He used the hashtag #OpportunisticRahulGandhi.
Another reaction was to the spectacle of the visit: "This is the grandeur of the prince, while another 'prince' seems to be his disciple."
Durgaprasad questioned the nature of the visit, asking, "Which movie scene is this from?"
Kuldeep Vyas quipped, "He brought his sister along because she's running for elections in Wayanad.
Neeraj Mishra, further lambasting the leaders, said, "They speak of equal justice but could not even carry their own sandals? Why should someone else handle it? They seem to be treating this as a sightseeing trip."
The day before, he had lashed out at the Gandhi family for their "panauti" on the country, causing national disruption. He underlined how while Rahul was the former MP from Wayanad and Priyanka was going to contest from the constituency, they had vanished during the crisis and left the relief operations to RSS volunteers.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the area, assessed the damage, met with the families of the deceased, and condoled with them. Rahul Gandhi came out in solidarity with the people of Wayanad and promised all possible support, while Priyanka Gandhi also condoled and said that the Congress would do everything possible to help the victims in every manner.
The landslides, which hit Wayanad in the small hours of Wednesday, have left four villages devastated, and incessant heavy rainfall and subsequent landslides hamper ongoing rescue efforts.
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