Congress: PM intends to use funds on self-promotion, not Kerala flood relief

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not declaring floods in Kerala as national disaster, the Congress on Monday said he did not release enough central fund so as to use the money on self-promotion.

Congress Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters that Modi did not believe in the spirit of cooperative federalism and was busy playing petty politics over the natural disaster, which had caused huge loss of life and property in Kerala.

"The relief the Prime Minister gave to Kerala is a classic case of 'too little too late'. A state witnessing a disaster that cost over Rs 19,000 crore has got only paltry Rs 500 crore from Modi, who spent Rs 5,000 crore on self-promotion and publicity, Rs 35 crore on fitness videos, Rs 1,100 crore on BJP's Delhi headquarters and Rs 2,000 crore on foreign travels," Shergill said.

"The Prime Minister is not declaring Kerala floods as a national disaster simply to save central funds for later use on self-promotion. He is not showing large-heartedness towards Kerala because the national treasury will be affected."

The Congress leader said that the people will realise the infair treatment to Kerala when funds released are compared with relief given to BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Assam where damage caused by natural disasters was less compared with Kerala, Shergill said.

"Modi should explain to the nation about floods that have taken the lives of nearly 400 persons, displaced 3.5 lakh persons to 3,560 relief camps—if such a disaster does not warrant to be called a national disaster, what else is?" he said.