Uttarakhand floods: 'This sorry state has cropped up due to negligence,' says Sharad Yadav

Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav on Monday said negligence was to blame for the sorry state of affairs in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand.

"For years, they have been ill-treating the Himalayas, and this is the result. This is a sought of a destruction which will be etched in everyone's memory a sad feeling. This is a matter where no one is paying heed to the environment sectors word. Hence this woeful situation has cropped up. I blame the entire system for this. This is nonsense as to who went and who didn't. As if they would have cured the situation single-handedly this is just bluffing," said Yadav.

Surprisingly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also raised a similar tune when they charged the Congress-led UPA Government with hampering the rescue operations in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, saying that the ruling party at the Centre is itself a 'national disaster'.

"The Central Government was only into hampering the relief work. Congress party is itself a national disaster," BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

"Look at the credibility of this Government, not even one country came forward to extend help," he added.

Fifteen days after floods hit Uttarakhand killing hundreds of people and sweeping away numerous houses, the evacuation of all the stranded pilgrims and tourists is likely to be over by this evening.

Over 900 pilgrims were airlifted from Badrinath and 650 pilgrims reached Joshimath on foot yesterday. Rescuers from Army are engaged to locate the stranded pilgrims as well as locals on higher reaches in Pithoragarh.