Don`t turn U`khand crisis into PR exercise: Chavan

New Delhi: Taking a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his Maharashtra counterpart Prithviraj Chavan said on Sunday the "grave crisis" in Uttarkhand should not be utilised for "personal glorification" and need of the hour is to help people affected by calamity.

"I think it is a grave crisis. Don`t trivialise it. Our 100 per cent attention should be focused in saving people and sending them back to their homes. It should not be converted into a PR exercise...Priority should be to help Uttarakhand government and not personal glorification," Chavan said without taking Modi`s name. The Chief Minister was reacting to a question on media reports about efforts made by the Gujarat Chief Minister to save thousands of stranded Gujarati pilgrims in Uttarakhand. He, however, refused to comment on Congress leader Digvijay Singh`s reported remarks that the Maharashtra Chief Minister had offered to renovate the Kedarnath temple even before the Gujarat Chief Minister. Addressing a press conference, Chavan expressed deep condolences for the loss of innocent lives in Uttarakhand caused by cloud burst followed by landslide, flood and rains. The Chief Minister said he attempted to visit the flood hit state today but failed as his flight could not land in Dehradun due to poor weather. He said he would make another attempt tomorrow to visit the state "without disturbing the rescue operations." Chavan said out of an estimated number of 2949 tourists from Maharashtra, more than 1608 have been sent to Maharashtra by various modes of transport. Another group of around 400 pilgrims are expected to board the special train from Haridwar. "This takes the figure to 2,000," he said. PTI