The Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for their absence from Wayanad, where a landslide left eight people dead. The saffron party called the siblings are ‘part-time politicians’ who have used the constituency for their political survival.
The landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, which is intended to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
Priyanka Gandhi is a Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Wayanad, a seat in Kerala represented by her brother Rahul earlier. There was no immediate reaction from the Congress to the BJP's allegations.
BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha accused Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi of failing to reach out to the affected families.
"They are merely political tourists. Apart from a single condolence post on social media, neither of them has shown any interest in reaching out to the affected families. This is shameful and reflects that both of them are part-time politicians," he told PTI.
Second major landslide after the one in July 2024
The July 7 landslide occurred near the Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi along the construction zone of the multi-crore Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, which is designed to connect the Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. Intense rainfall triggered a massive collapse of rock, mud, and accumulated earth that quickly buried local infrastructure and trapped several on-site construction workers
"Neither Priyanka Gandhi Vadra nor Rahul Gandhi found the time to visit the constituency. This is the second major landslide after the one in July 2024, which claimed several hundred lives. Even then, Rahul Gandhi arrived late, and now neither of them has deemed it necessary to visit the affected area," he added.
Sinha alleged that the Congress leaders have treated Wayanad as a "constituency of political convenience",
"As Members of Parliament, first Rahul Gandhi and now Priyanka Gandhi have merely used the constituency for their political survival.
"The moment Rahul Gandhi won from Rae Bareli, he dumped Wayanad. Priyanka Gandhi, too, is likely to dump the constituency the day she finds a better seat closer to Delhi," he claimed.
Environmental vulnerability of eco-sensitive region
Sinha also questioned the steps taken by Rahul Gandhi during his tenure as Wayanad MP from 2019 to 2024, and by the current MP to address the environmental vulnerability of the eco-sensitive region.
"This is how the Gandhis have treated their constituencies throughout. Amethi remained underdeveloped for decades, which is why Rahul Gandhi eventually had to leave it.
They are merely political tourists... This is shameful and reflects that both of them are part-time politicians.
"Wayanad is an eco-sensitive region. What steps have the Gandhis taken since 2019 to address its environmental vulnerability?" he asked.
