Ghulam Nabi Azad disfavours ministers visiting Uttarakhand

Ghulam Nabi Azad disfavoured central ministers or those holding high positions in govt visiting flood-ravaged Uttarakhand.

New Delhi: Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday disfavoured central ministers or those holding high positions in the government visiting flood-ravaged Uttarakhand saying it hampered rescue and relief work. Azad, however, defended Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi`s visit to Uttarakhand, saying he was not in the administration and political leaders were going there to coordinate relief operations by parties. "It is not the job of Ministers to go there. This is not the time for politicians to give speeches there. It is the doctors who should go there. When Ministers go there, we become a burden on them.

"People like us with high security, when we go there, we become more a problem than a solution to a problem. The security will push people here and there...It is better that those who are required should go there. I do not agree with others going there. We have seen yesterday`s tamasha on how politicians were squabbling there," Azad told reporters when asked if he favoured visits of VIPs in Uttarakhand. On Gandhi`s visit to the flood affected state, Azad said "he is not in administration". "If all 79 ministers will go there, then it becomes more problematic. Party leaders are going...As a party, people go in different capacities. They coordinate with the party," he said. Azad said there should be no politics in health and it should be left to doctors and specialists to handle it. "There should be no politics, no religion in health. We should keep it confined to doctors and specialists," he said, adding doctors, technicians and specialists should be going there instead. PTI