Centre waives loans of big businesses, not of Wayanad landslide victims: Priyanka Gandhi
Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad (PTI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticised the central government for not waiving loans of the Wayanad landslides victims, saying it has no hesitation in writing off debts of big businesses.
Priyanka, in a statement issued by the party, was reacting to the central government's stand in the Kerala High Court that it cannot waive the loans of the Wayanad landslides victims.
The Congress MP from Wayanad said she completely agrees with the High Court's observation that the Centre has failed the victims in their time of need.
In a stinging observation, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday said that the Union government has "virtually failed" the victims of the 2024 landslides in Wayanad by not exercising its powers to waive the loans availed by them.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan, also expressed his disagreement with the Centre's stand, terming it a "wrong move".
He said that the landslide victims have all kinds of loans, but no source of income or assets.
"It is in such circumstances that the loans have to be waived," he said.
He said that the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution last year for waiving the loans of the landslide victims, and now, the central government has to take a decision in this regard.
However, the Centre has taken a different stand in the case of Kerala as compared to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and various other north Indian states, he claimed.
"It is a wrong stand by the Centre," he contended.
"We are requesting the Centre to help the victims of the Wayanad landslides, despite the observations of the High Court," he added.
A major landslide struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions on July 30 last year, almost completely decimating both areas.
The disaster claimed over 200 lives and left hundreds injured.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
