The ruling Congress and main opposition TDP in Andhra Pradesh were engaged in a war of words today over providing relief to the large number of pilgrims from the state, who became victims of nature's fury in Uttarakhand.
TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu today called on the pilgrims, who are currently undergoing treatment in Dehradun.
Naidu, who held a sit-in at the AP Bhavan in Delhi last night in protest against the "inadequate arrangements" made for the pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, who returned from Uttarakhand.
Alleging that pilgrims from AP are being discriminated against in the rescue operations, he requested the Centre to arrange extra helicopters to airlift 400 pilgrims from the state stranded at Harsil near Gangotri in Uttarakhand.
He has written to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in this regard.
Naidu has also alleged that the Centre and state governments have failed to provide adequate relief to the victims.
The TDP has arranged a special aircraft to bring back the pilgrims from New Delhi to the state.
Dismissing Naidu's allegations, state Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy accused the TDP president of only indulging in politics.
"He (Naidu) did not attend the assembly session. He was in America. He was trying to escape that blame," Reddy said.
State Labour Minister Danam Nagender, who was in Dehradrun to supervise the relief efforts for Telugus, said the government helped many stranded pilgrims.
