Deluge brings BJP, Congress on a warpath as rain and thunderstorm kill 50

Rains coupled with thunderstorm and lighting that hit several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Guj­arat, and Maharashtra on Tuesday left nearly 50 people dead while crops worth lakhs of rupees was damaged. The deluge, however, brought the two principal political parties, BJP and Congress, on a warpath. 

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express anguish over the loss of lives in Gujarat and announced relief, MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath accused Modi of being concerned only about his home state. The BJP hit back, accusing Nath of doing politics over the loss. 

“I am requesting political parties that in this hour of grief they should not indulge in political oneupmanship. Elections come and go, we should help those in grief,” Modi said on Wednesday, addressing an election rally in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district. “The central government and state governments are working to provide relief to those affected by storm,” he said. 

The PMO had earlier tweeted, “PM @narendramodi has expressed grief at loss of lives due to unseasonal rains and storms in MP, Rajasthan, Manipur and various parts of the country.” The PMO also said an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives had been approved from the PM’s National Relief Fund. An amount of Rs 50,000 each for the injured was also approved, it said.

A portion of a tent erected for Modi's rally in Himmatnagar town of north Gujarat was also damaged in a dust storm, an official said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was closely monitoring the situation in rain-hit areas and was ready to provide all possible help to affected states.

Rajasthan witnessed the maximum casualties, with 21 people dying in rain-related incidents, followed by MP, where 15 died. While 10 people died in Gujarat, three died in Maharashtra.

An assessment is going on the extent of affect of crops. “In the three main hailstorm- and rain-hit states, the wheat crop had been harvested in most places. But there could be some damage where harvested wheat was lying in the fields, waiting to be transported or lying in mandis that don’t have proper sheds and storage facilities. It would help a lot if there is proper sunshine in the next few days,” said G P Singh, director of Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal.

The unseasonal rains and storm caused most damage to property and crops in Gujarat and Rajasthan. 

Ram Inaniya, a farmer leader based in MP, said: “Maximum damage was done in those mandis, where the harvested crop was lying in the open due to improper storage facilities.”

In Gujarat’s Mehsana, too, produce kept in the open in the agriculture produce market committee premises got damaged, an official said. Besides, officials in Banaskantha said the watermelon crop, mainly grown in and around Deesa, got damaged.

Several livestock also died in rain-related incidents.