'Natural disaster no occasion for politics' Revanth slams oppn for mudslinging

Hyderabad:Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday accused the Opposition parties of irresponsible behaviour and declared that “a natural disaster”, which the Srisailam left bank canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse was, was not an occasion for politics. The government, he said, was fully focused on, and committed to, the rescue operations and would get any resource that was required to complete the task.

He was speaking to the media at the SLBC tunnel inlet site after a detailed review with representatives from 11 agencies on the rescue efforts inside the collapsed tunnel.

Answering questions from reporters on how the BRS and the BJP had accused him of campaign for the Legislative Council elections despite the accident, Revanth Reddy replied: “Where is KCR and Kishan Reddy? What campaign are they busy with? I had my Deputy CM, ministers Uttam and Jupally here. Our whole system is here. As a team leader I am following up, minute to minute.”

Revanth Reddy said “Uttam Kumar Reddy, with his experience in the armed forces, rallied all these agencies and managed the crisis in a way I could not have. As a soldier, he is an expert in dealing with crises. Any accusations of us not doing everything we can is just mudslinging.” Capt. Uttam Kumar Reddy (retd) is a former fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force.

Revanth Reddy said: “Unlike the BRS government, we have not stopped anyone from coming here. I was arrested when I tried to go to the Srisailam left bank power house, where many people died in a major fire (during the BRS government tenure). Then there were the Devadula and Kaleshwaram accidents where no one was allowed. We did not restrict anyone from coming here.”

He reserved his sharpest attack for former irrigation minster T. Harish Rao, who, along with former ministers in the BRS government, had visited the site three days ago. “Why did he wait to come here immediately after the accident? Because he was busy partying in Dubai. Only after that, he came here and protested that I did not visit the site. Let him deny that he did not go to Dubai,” the Chief Minister said and added “My coming to the site at that time would have disturbed the work.”

He slammed Harish Rao for saying the tunnel accident was due to government negligence. “This accident is akin to a car driver swerving hard to save the life of someone who suddenly comes on the road, and ends up driving into a tree. The Kaleshwaram disaster was like a drunken driver crashing into a tree. Does Harish know this difference,” he asked.