The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde of misleading it about the situation in flood ravaged Uttarakhand.
"The event occurred on the 16th, and on 18th, we came to know of the first reports of the death toll. Sushma Swaraj told me that over 1000 people had died and the situation was disastrous. She was monitoring the situation every minute," said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.
"When we asked Sushil Kumar Shinde to go he said he himself can't go there as the situation was disastrous. He went there and further spoilt things. Some say the death toll is 1000 and some say it is more than 5000, what is happening? We are still in the dark about the death toll. There have been huge lapses on the part of the government. But all the credit goes to the ITBP troops, they are the real heroes beyond any doubt," she further said.
Meanwhile, mass funeral of bodies were carried out in Kedarghati region on Sunday. Ninety-four bodies have been cremated. DNA samples of the bodies, which could not be identified, have been preserved.
State Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had earlier said a 200-member team consisting of officials of various departments, including police, health, animal husbandry experts and sanitation, is being sent along with equipment provided by the NDRF to both Kedarnath and Rambada to extricate the bodies from the debris and expedite the process of their disposal.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Saturday said that over 900 people have lost their lives as per the reports received by him, and added that over one lakh five thousand people have so far been evacuated.
Shinde further said the combing operations would be carried out in the next three to four days to make sure that none are still stranded.
"The Government of India is providing all assistance. We have also formulated a scheme of Rs. 1,95,000 for Uttarakhand," he added.