Rahul Gandhi Praises PM Modi's Decision to Visit Landslide-Hit Wayanad

Officials said PM Modi will reach Kannur around 11 am and then undertake an aerial survey of the landslides-affected areas in Wayanad.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Kerala's Wayanad district on Saturday. The aim is to assess the devastation caused by recent landslides, which have claimed at least 226 lives. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, praised Modi's decision to visit the disaster-stricken area and expressed hope that the prime minister would declare it a national disaster after witnessing the extent of the damage firsthand. "Thank you, Modi ji, for visiting Wayanad to personally take stock of the terrible tragedy. This is a good decision," Gandhi said in a post on X.

"I am confident that once the Prime Minister sees the extent of the devastation firsthand, he will declare it a national disaster," the former Congress chief said.  Modi's visit will include an aerial survey of the affected areas, meetings with rescue teams, and interactions with survivors in relief camps and hospitals.

Modi will visit Kerala's Wayanad district on Saturday to review the relief-and-rehabilitation efforts and interact with survivors. Officials said Modi will reach Kannur around 11 am and then undertake an aerial survey of the landslides-affected areas in Wayanad.

During Modi's visit, teams involved in the rescue operations will brief him about the evacuation efforts. The prime minister will also visit relief camps and hospitals to interact with the survivors of the landslides, the officials said.

Modi will then chair a review meeting during which he will be briefed in detail about the incidents and the ongoing relief efforts. At least 226 people died and many remain unaccounted for after landslides hit the region on July 30, in what was likely one of the biggest natural disasters to have hit Kerala.

Gandhi, the member of Parliament from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, represented Wayanad in the previous Lok Sabha.