Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, a first-time MP from Mandi who is on a visit to cloudburst-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday (August 6), has criticised the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in the state for its “poor handling” of disaster relief funds.
As soon as Kangana arrived in worst-affected Samej village of Rampur subdivision in Shimla district, she was surrounded by locals eager to share their plight. She took time to listen to their concerns and offered words of encouragement.
Addressing the media, Kangana criticised the current state government led by Chief Minister Sukhu: “Last time, a package of Rs 1,800 crore was sent from the Centre for the people affected by the rain disaster.
But the current government did not distribute it to them. This is an inhuman act of the state government. They have no compassion or feeling in their hearts. People are building bridges with their own hands.”
Kangana consoled the disaster-stricken residents, bringing many to tears with her empathetic gestures. The affected women were seen breaking down as she embraced them. Her presence provided a much-needed emotional boost to those struggling in the aftermath of the floods.
She further questioned the state government’s commitment to the affected residents, stating, “Last time, the displaced people were promised Rs 7 lakh each from the funds received from the Centre. Did they get the Rs 7 lakh? The villagers are building bridges with their own hands.”
Kangana expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would once again come to the aid of the people of Himachal Pradesh. “PM Narendra Modi will definitely send a package. He had sent a package of Rs 1,800 crore last time and he will send it now too and it will go to Sukhu ji. I would say that an investigation should be started on whether the displaced people will get that money or not. Whatever corruption has started here should be curbed.”
The ongoing disaster has claimed 16 lives so far, with 38 persons still missing. Rescue operations continue into the sixth day, with efforts bolstered by the use of sniffer dogs, live detectors and drones to locate the missing individuals.
