1. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Silchar, Assam, ahead of his Manipur visit.
2. He plans to meet flood-affected people in Assam on Monday.
3. Gandhi will then head to violence-hit Manipur, according to a state party spokesperson.
Silchar, July 08: Ahead of his visit to Manipur, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Silchar, Assam.
He is expected to meet with flood-affected people in Assam on Monday before heading to violence-hit Manipur, a state party spokesperson said.
This visit marks his first trip to the Northeast since becoming the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Assam Visit Amid Flood Crisis
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Assam comes as the state battles severe floods due to torrential rainfall, causing landslides and overflowing rivers.
Approximately 22.70 lakh people across 28 districts have been affected by the deluge. Gandhi is slated to arrive at the Kumbhigram airport in Silchar, Cachar district, in the morning.
He is expected to visit a flood relief camp in Lakhipur to interact with those who have taken refuge there, according to the spokesperson.
The camp visit is along the route Gandhi will take to Manipur’s Jiribam district.
Also Read: Amit Shah Pledges Full Support to Assam Amid Severe Flood Crisis
Manipur Tour
After visiting the relief camp, Gandhi will return to Silchar airport in Assam from Jiribam and then fly to Imphal for the next leg of his Manipur tour. Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in over 200 deaths so far.
Flood Impact in Assam
Meanwhile, in Assam, a total of 78 people have died in this year’s floods, landslides, and storms. The flood-affected districts include Kamrup, Nagaon, Cachar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Morigaon, Hailakandi, Bongaigaon, South Salmara, Dibrugarh, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Hojai, Nalbari, Charaideo, Biswanath, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Kokrajhar, Majuli, Kamrup (Metropolitan), Darrang, Sivasagar, Chirang, and Tinsukia.
Nine rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak, are flowing above the danger mark in many places.
Government Response
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood relief camps in Kamrup district to assess the impact of the ongoing floods and oversee the distribution of relief to the affected people.
The water level of the Brahmaputra is above the danger level at Neamatighat, Tezpur, and Dhubri, though it is receding in Guwahati.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit aims to bring national attention to the plight of flood-affected people in Assam while also addressing the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.
