Priyanka Gandhi accuses BJP of 'politicising' landslide disaster in Wayanad
Wayanad (PTI): Stepping up her attack against the BJP, Congress leader and UDF candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-polls Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused the saffron party of "politicising" the landslides that struck this hill district in July, killing hundreds and displacing many residents.
Kicking off her second day of campaigning, she addressed a corner meeting at Kenichira in the Sulthan Bathery Assembly constituency.
"Even a disaster that caused immense pain to people was politicised by the BJP. And this is where we start today. We stand in a place where you must think about your country, your own needs, and the kind of politics you want in our nation," the Congress general secretary remarked.
Taking a dig at the saffron party, Priyanka said the BJP's politics, "which is spreading across the country, is characterised by hatred, anger, divisiveness, and destruction."
She stated that real issues facing the people are being overlooked, and their problems remain unresolved.
She further claimed that unemployment is at an all-time high and prices are continually rising, with no indication of a halt.
"Politics is not focused on resolving these issues. The BJP's politics is solely aimed at distracting you from your problems, because its only aim is to remain in power, no matter the cost," Priyanka said.
She also accused the BJP-led central government of 'failing' to distribute necessary funds to help families affected by the massive landslides.
"If you give me the chance to represent you in Parliament, I will show you that I can work harder than anyone else for you. I will voice your issues everywhere. I will fight for you and put pressure on both the state and central governments. You will have a tough fighter by your side who does not back down when your needs are at stake," Priyanka added.
The Congress leader resumed her second phase of campaigning on Sunday, holding public and corner meetings in the hill constituency alongside her brother, Rahul Gandhi.
Making her electoral debut, Priyanka Gandhi, will be in Kerala until November 7, according to her campaign itinerary. She plans to hold corner meetings in four additional locations, within the Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery assembly constituencies, on Monday.
The by-election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat became necessary after Rahul Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha polls from both Wayanad and Raebareli, decided to vacate the Wayanad seat.
Voting in Wayanad will be held on November 13.
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2 Indian nationals part of crew of luxury cruise ship that reported hantavirus outbreak
London (PTI): At least two Indian nationals are part of the crew of the Dutch vessel MV Hondius which reported a hantavirus outbreak with five confirmed cases and three deaths so far, according to the BBC.
The luxury cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey on April 1 from Argentina’s Ushuaia and is expected to arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10.
About 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries were initially aboard the luxury cruise, but dozens disembarked on the island of St Helena on April 24, according to the report.
Of the 28 nationalities onboard, 38 are from the Philippines, 31 from the UK, 23 from the US, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada, and two crew members from India, among others, the BBC reported.
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The World Health Organization said on Thursday that five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases had been confirmed.
A 69-year-old Dutch woman, confirmed to have the virus, has died; her Dutch husband and a German woman were also among the fatalities. Their cases are being investigated.
The UN health agency has said the outbreak is not the start of a pandemic.
Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at WHO, told a news briefing that the situation is not the same as six years ago with Covid-19 because hantavirus spreads through “close, intimate contact”.
Van Kerkhove said “this is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently”. She said authorities had asked “everyone to wear a mask” on board the MV Hondius.
Those in contact with or caring for suspected cases, she added, should “wear a higher level of personal protective equipment”.
Hantavirus typically spreads from rodents - but in the latest outbreak the transmission between people was documented for the first time, the WHO said.
Meanwhile, health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who have recently disembarked from the Dutch vessel MV Hondius.
Oceanwide Expedition said 29 passengers, of at least 12 different nationalities, had left the MV Hondius in St Helena, the British Overseas Territory.
It also said the body of one deceased person—now known to be a Dutch man - was taken off the vessel.
Seven of those who left the cruise liner were British nationals.
