CPI-M accuses Shah of deliberately skipping survey of flood-affected Kerala

While expressing concern over the loss of life and destruction of property due to floods in various parts of the country, the CPI-M on Monday accused Home Minister Amit Shah of "deliberately skipping" the survey of badly-affected Kerala even as he made an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of BJP-ruled states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

In a statement, the politburo of the Communist Party of India-Marxist called upon the central government to render all required assistance to the state governments to tackle this calamity.

It said the LDF government in Kerala was combating the flood situation efficiently.

The party said death toll in the state is 72 and more bodies are being recovered in rescue operations.

"Kerala is the worst affected, exactly a year after the devastation caused by the floods in 2018. So far, the death toll has reached 72 with more bodies being recovered during rescue operations. Nearly three lakh people have been evacuated and housed in 1639 relief camps across the state. The LDF government in the state is once again combating this havoc efficiently," the statement said.

It said 40 lives have been lost in Maharashtra, 32 in Karnataka and 24 in Gujarat and major rivers like the Tungabhadra, Krishna in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and their tributaries were in spate and continue to cause immense destruction and damage.

"The Home Minister in his aerial survey of flood-hit areas chose to go only to BJP ruled states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. It appears that he deliberately skipped the survey of the badly affected Kerala," the statement said.

It alleged that "some elements associated with the RSS-BJP are campaigning in social media asking people not to donate to the Kerala Chief Minister's Relief Fund".

"Political partisanship is least expected in times of natural calamities and unfortunate deaths of people," the party said.