Taking strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earthquake remark in Parliament, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said it was an "insult" to the people of the state.
"The Prime Minister could have easily avoided making a statement like this. He did nothing to heal the wounds of 2013 disaster. He never came to the state during the crisis and now he is making fun of people of the state who have to deal with such disasters frequently. It is an insult to them," Rawat said in a statement in Nainital.
In a light-hearted jibe at Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Modi made a reference to the Monday night earthquake in Uttarakhand saying that the earthquake the Congress vice-president was talking about had finally arrived.
"The statement came as a shock to the whole country, especially to the people of Uttarakhand who have been victims of natural calamities time and again," Rawat said.
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At a public meeting in Nainital, Rawat targeted the Prime Minister.
"The Modi government did nothing to help the disaster victims of Kedarnath. Now, the PM has slapped the people of the state by making a mockery of the recent earthquake that hit Uttarakhand," he said.
"A political answer to political issues would have been a fit answer by the PM. However, using an incident like an earthquake for humour is uncalled for," he said.
The chief minister also appealed to the people to elect him to office for a second term. "Congress is already working towards the development of the state and will continue to do so with renewed energy if the people gave the party a chance to serve them again," he said.
He said BJP only makes "false" promises while "we have done solid ground work".
Rawat was in the popular tourist resort to campaign for sitting MLA and Congress candidate Sarita Arya who, he said, deserved another term.
