'Astrologers did not give flood warning'
Minister for Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda has put his foot in his mouth by claiming that astrologers failed to warn the government about the floods.
“Had any astrologer cautioned about the natural calamity, the State government would have taken precautionary measures to avert the disaster and mitigate the loss,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Rainfall in North Karnataka this time is highest in the last 100 years. Had any soothsayer predicted about the nature’s fury, the State government would have been alert. “I don’t know about others, but I am a firm believer in astrology,” he stated.
When quizzed on the State government’s failure to take precaution against floods, he said, “we are not Devamanavas (godmen) to foresee the disaster.”
He took exception to State Human Rights Commission Chairman S R Nayak’s comments against the disaster management strategies of State government. “I will not react to the comments made by non-entities.
Nayak is ignorant of rescue and relief operations initiated by the State government in rain and flood-hit areas,” he stated.
