Rahul appears in relief arena

 Almost a week after massive flood flattened structures and killed about 1,000 people, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was on Monday seen flagging off relief material arranged by the Congress to Uttarakhand. Later, he went to Dehradun to ascertain the extent of damage, in what the Opposition said was a damage control exercise.

Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also stood beside Gandhi at a party function organised to flag off trucks loaded with relief material. Downplaying questions over the belated visit of the Gandhi scion, the Congress said it was not necessary that all leaders visit the calamity-hit state  and hamper relief and rescue works.

Gandhi faced strong criticism from the opposition parties for staying out of country during the crisis. Despite the Congress claiming that Sonia Gandhi was personally monitoring the situation and directed party leaders to chip in for relief, social network had gone viral about Gandhi’s absence.