Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Assam on Monday to meet with flood victims as the situation remained grim in the state with a population of nearly 23 lakh affected in 28 districts. The death toll in this year's flood, landslide and storm was 78 with 66 succumbing in the deluge alone while the water level continued to flow above the danger mark in most rivers.
The Congress leader visited a relief camp at Thalai In Youth Care Center, Fulertal, Assam where he met with the victims.
Nearly 23 lakh people in 3,446 villages of 28 districts were affected in the second wave of floods while 68,432.75 hectares of cropland have been inundated.
A team of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) led by President Bhupen Borah submitted a memorandum to the Congress leader, urging him to raise the issue of perennial floods in Assam in Parliament.
From Assam, Gandhi will fly to Imphal for the next leg of his Manipur tour.
Congress's Jibe At PM Modi
The Congress party on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Russia and Austria while Rahul Gandhi will visit the strife-torn Manipur for a third time.
"Today, the non-biological PM goes to Moscow while the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha heads for Assam and Manipur," said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a post on X.
"Of course, the drumbeaters of the non-biological PM have claimed that he stopped the Russia-Ukraine war for some time. Presumably, this Moscow trip will lead to even more bizarre claims," he said.
This is Rahul Gandhi's third visit to Manipur ever since the "state blew up" fourteen months ago, Ramesh said.
"The non-biological PM has not found the time nor even had the inclination to visit Manipur even for a few hours after the grave crisis erupted on May 3rd, 2023, " said the Congress leader.
"He (Modi) has not even met the CM of the state - who happens to be from his own party - and other political leaders of the state, including MLAs and MPs," he added.