BJP cites UPA-era rule to reject 'national disaster' status for Wayanad landslides

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP on Sunday responded to demands from various quarters, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, to declare the devastating Wayanad landslides a national disaster, saying that such a concept doesn't exist under Central government guidelines, a policy unchanged since the UPA government's tenure.

Senior party leader V Muraleedharan posted on his Facebook page a 2013 Parliament document in which then Minister of State for Home, Mullappally Ramachandran, stated that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster."

"The concept of a 'national disaster' does not exist under the Central government's guidelines, a fact that has been the case since the UPA government's tenure. This was explicitly stated by the then Union Home Minister, Mullappally Ramachandran, in a response to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 2013," said Muraleedharan, who is also a former Union Minister.

"While there is no official designation of 'national disaster', each disaster is addressed according to its severity," he said, "and urged people not to attempt to create baseless controversies during this time of disaster."

Muraleedharan said that the Central government will extend all necessary assistance to the affected state governments, and noted that in Wayanad, the Army is continuing to lead rescue and relief efforts for the sixth consecutive day in areas ravaged by the disaster.

He said immediately after the disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the families of those injured from the National Disaster Relief Fund.

The Prime Minister personally called Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and offered all support, the BJP leader said.

"Therefore, I request that no one should attempt to create baseless controversies during this time of disaster."

Muraleedharan's statement comes days after Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, visited Wayanad and described the massive landslides that hit the hill district on July 30 as a "national disaster."

Gandhi, a former MP from Wayanad, termed it a "terrible tragedy for Wayanad, Kerala, and the nation."

When asked by reporters, he had said, "To me, this is a national disaster for sure, but let's see what the government says."