Chandigarh: Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited flood-affected areas in Gurdaspur after paying obeisance at the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. He reached Makaura Pattan in Dinanagar, where the district administration stopped him from crossing the Ravi river to visit seven villages.
The restriction led to an argument between Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders, and district officials. Rahul Gandhi questioned why he was being prevented from meeting the residents, saying, “It is very unfortunate that the leader of the opposition in his own country has been prevented from entering his own country.”
He asked the administration for a written reply, which was refused. He then suggested that if he could not cross the river, people from the other side should be brought to meet him.
SP (Headquarters) Jugraj Singh and SDO Jaspinder Singh cited security concerns, after which SSP Aditya also held talks with Gandhi.
Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who accompanied Gandhi, said the Punjab government, with the help of the district administration, deliberately prevented him from visiting the affected villages. He alleged that the state government had failed to make proper arrangements ahead of the Ravi floods, which he said caused heavy losses to the people.
