Sunday, 24 October 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Former chief minister and head of election campaign committee of Uttarakhand Congress Harish Rawat has said that the state government failed to act properly on the advance warning of heavy rain given by the Union government. Addressing media persons at Almora on Saturday, Rawat who is on an extensive tour of disaster affected areas of Kumaon division said, “The Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit of the state had claimed that a warning 36 hour in advance was given to the state government on the disaster. I can say that the state got no benefit of the warning.’’
On the question of the aerial survey of the Home minister Rawat said that being Union Home Minister one should not expect him to travel extensively but we were expecting that he would announce a relief of Rs 400-500 crore which he did not.
In an indication that he has softened his earlier tough stand on the return of rebels into the Congress party Rawat said that rebels who had defected to BJP are not his culprits. He also referred to cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat as his younger brother when the media persons asked about his reaction to the apology sought by Harak Singh. “He (Harak) is like my brother. I have always loved him and never said him or any MLA no for any work. It is another matter that I didn’t had the cash due to which some of them left the party. They are culprits of democracy. If such people make a promise to the people of the state that they would not repeat such acts in future I have no problem,’’ he said.
Rawat however added that the party would not hurt the interests of the dedicated workers of the party who with their sheer hard work in the last four and half years have strengthened the party to such an extent that leaders from other parties are eager to join Congress now.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal claimed that many leaders of BJP and other parties are eager to join the Congress party but the party would first protect the interests of its workers. He said that the Congress is heading for a victory in the upcoming assembly elections.
