Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi to announce special relief package for flood-affected Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand

Rahul Gandhi also issued a video statement reiterating his demand of a special package for the flood-affected states.

New Delhi: In the wake of devastation due to floods, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately announce a special relief package for Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, as well as accelerate relief and rescue operations.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "Modiji, floods have caused massive destruction in Punjab. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is also extremely worrying." "In such difficult times, your attention and the active help of the central government is extremely necessary. Thousands of families are struggling to save their homes, lives and loved ones," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

"I urge that a special relief package be announced immediately for these states, especially for farmers - and relief and rescue operations be accelerated," the former Congress chief said.

"It is saddening to see people struggle to save their families. Modi Ji it is the responsibility of the government to protect people. Immediately prepare a special relief package for the protection of these people," Gandhi said in his video message.

Unrelenting rains piled misery on north India, reeling under serial cloudbursts and floods for the past few weeks, as swollen rivers inundated the plains, crippled rails and road traffic, and forced school closures.

The situation in Punjab, battling its worst floods since 1988, remained precarious as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets remained swollen due to heavy rains in their upstream. Twelve districts have been hit by the floods that have already claimed 29 lives, besides impacting more than 2.56 lakh people.

Among the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand faced another rainy day on Tuesday with various regions lashed by heavy showers.

Two women died in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday as heavy rains continued to trigger landslides and flash floods, closing over 1,000 roads. An orange alert, warning of heavy rains, has been issued for Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts.

In Shimla, all government and private educational institutes, including coaching centres and nursing institutes, have been ordered to remain shut. The state capital has been experiencing continuous rainfall for the last few days, and there was a high possibility of landslides at several locations.