‘National disaster decision to be based on state’s report’

“The state government is yet to give its report on the cyclone. Only on getting the report, it will be known whether the cyclone will be declared a national disaster by the Centre. A few persons are simply trying to politicise the issue,” he told reporters in Coimbatore. 

He was participating in the inauguration of city gas distribution project of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). 

On various party leaders seeking PM’s visit to cyclone-ravaged areas, the BJP leader said that Narendra Modi is committed with other works and hence deputing Union ministers to assess the damage. “They would soon visit Gaja affected districts,” he said. 

Hailing the preparedness of the state government before the cyclone’s landfall, Radhakrishnan said that roadblocks should be removed to access interior villages and carry out relief works.

Replying to a query on the argument with a police officer at Sabarimala in Kerala, the Union Minister said that the temple shrine has now become a war zone as pilgrims were threatened by the police. 

“Buses were stopped from proceeding to Pamba. When I queried, the SP said that roads were in a battered condition and there were landslides. I sensed that the SP’s approach to me was different,” he said. 

The Union Minister also appealed to the Kerala government to treat pilgrims in a humanitarian way and not to harass them. “If a Union Minister gets this sort of treatment, one should think about the fate of common public. Kerala should relax its unwanted restrictions,” he remarked.