Congress and BJP in war of words over Uttarakhand disaster

NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: The Congress and BJP were embroiled in a bitter war of words today over Uttarakhand disaster with the saffron party demanding the dismissal of the Vijay Bahuguna government for "inept" handling of the crisis prompting an angry response.


As the rival parties were locked in a wordy duel on Twitter, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, charged the Uttarakhand government with failing to effectively handle the tragedy caused by floods and landslides in rain fury a fortnight ago.

"I am sorry to say that the Government in Uttarakhand has not been able to rise to the occasion. They ought to be dismissed for being inept and incompetent," Swaraj said on the micro-blogging site.

Swaraj made the demand even as I and B minister Manish Tewari hit out at Jaitley and her, saying they had time to criticise government proposals but no time to visit calamity- struck Uttarakhand.

"H'onble Leaders of Opposition have mindspace to critique govt proposals on CBI autonomy that are yet to be placed before SC but no time to visit Uttarakhand," Tewari said on Twitter. Jaitley, who said the Uttarakhand government had failed to respond tothe situation, had also dubbed as a farce the Cabinet's recommendation on CBI autonomy.

Sushma in her response noted that the BJP leaders did not visit the flood-affected state as Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said that "nobody including himself was allowed to land anywhere."

AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni also hit back at BJP saying she was saddened at Sushma's demand.

"I am sad that an Opposition leader, who is a contender for PM's post, has given a statement that the Uttarakhand government should be dismissed. I am very sad about it," Soni told reporters in Dehradun.

The new head of the Communications Department for the Congress Ajay Maken posted a series of tweets taking potshots at the BJP over the Uttarakhand issue.

"Instead of helping in relief works in U'khand, don't try to use this calamity as a Political Opportunity!"

"Pyre of many Victims of this Natural Calamity still warm. First BJP tried to take credit of evacuating 15000 in a day," was another tweet of Maken in a jibe at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over claims he flew to Uttarakhand and helped rescue 15,000 Gujaratis in a day.