JUNE 25- Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, it seems, is not considered a VIP by the central government or it is too liberal with him to bend its own orders to let him visit the flood-hit areas of Uttarakhand.
Days after giving the devastated Himalayan state a miss, Gandhi went on a tour of Uttarakhand on Tuesday as he reached Guptkashi in the morning as his first stopover.
Under attack from the Opposition for remaining unavailable at such a critical time, Gandhi was, however, allowed to visit the state by road even as Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde announced that the VIPs have been barred from thronging the affected areas.
Speaking to media persons in Patna, Shinde said that the VIPs were not being allowed to ensure smooth rescue and relief operation. He also said that the VIPs would only be allowed to do aerial surveys.
However, almost concurrently, Gandhi was visiting the affected villages in Uttarakhand and meeting people to find out about their problems.
Ironically, around the same time, the Congress MLA from Kedarnath — Shaila Rani Rawat — came under attack from people who were agitated over the delay in relief work in the area. She alleged that the protesters misbehaved with her and as she tried to flee the spot, stones were pelted at her convoy near Guptkashi.
INDIA TODAY
