The Congress and BJP are embroiled in a bitter war of words over the Uttarakhand Disaster with the saffron party demanding the dismissal of the Vijay Bahuguna government for "inept" handling of the crisis, prompting an angry response from the ruling front.
As the rival parties are 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.
"Opposition leaders have mindspace to critique government 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.
Swaraj maintained that the government has done nothing which it could claim credit for and all rescue operations have been done by army, air force and ITBP at the cost of their lives. "What has your state government done? Nothing. The living are starving. The dead are being robbed. And you are patting your back. Those who cannot govern in crisis do not deserve to be in the government even for a day," she said.
Swaraj also targeted the UPA government at the Centre on the issue. "Unfortunately, the Government in Delhi has also failed to provide the requisite leadership," she added. Swaraj also maintained that some of her party leaders have avoided a visit to the rain-ravaged state as it would hamper relief and rescue efforts. "We did not go to Uttarakhand because Home Minister made a public statement that our visit will hamper the rescue effort," Swaraj said.
It was for the first time that the BJP has strongly and openly come out against the Bahuguna government on the issue of rescue and relief operations in the hill state. Senior leaders of the main opposition had avoided any harsh comments and confined their demand to declaring the tragedy a national calamity.
"Did anyone see Leaders of opposition in both houses express sympathy/visit disaster hit Uttarakhand. This from a party that criticises visits of Cong leaders," Tewari said. He further questioned that if the BJP leaders in both houses were following Union Home Minister's advice that VIPs should not visit the disaster-hit zone as it could hinder the rescue work then why did the same criteria not apply toparty chief Rajnath Singh and Modi.
"If leader of opposition follows the advice of HM how come it does not apply to the BJP President and Poll panel chief ? Different strokes for different folks!," Tewari asked. Modi's visit had also triggered a war of words between BJP and the Congress.
