Wayanad landslides: Privilege notice against Amit Shah for claiming Kerala ignored Centre’s warnings

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP V Sivadasan on Wednesday moved a privilege notice in the Rajya Sabha alleging that Union home minister Amit Shah misled the Upper House of Parliament by claiming that the Kerala government had ignored the Centre’s warnings about the possibility of a natural calamity in Wayanad, reported The Hindu.

At least 256 people have been killed and nearly 220 are reported to be missing after heavy rain triggered two landslides in the district’s Meppadi area on Tuesday, India Today reported quoting Kerala health minister Veena George.

On Wednesday, Shah told Parliament that in addition to a warning sent to the Kerala government on July 23, the India Meteorological Department had issued additional warnings on July 24 and July 25.

Nine teams of the National Disaster Response Force were also sent to Kerala on July 23 and three additional units were dispatched on Tuesday, Shah said, claiming that the state government had ignored the central weather agency’s warnings and did not respond to the arrival of the National Disaster Response Force battalions.

The Kerala government has denied the home minister’s claims.

Three Communist Party of India (Marxist) MPs from Kerala have also requested Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to direct Shah to clarify his comments.

MPs John Brittas, A Rahim and Sivadasan alleged that Shah’s claims were...

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