Priyanka Gandhi meets families who lost their loved ones in Shimla temple tragedy

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, September 13

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday visited the Shiv Mandir in Shimla where 20 people were killed after it collapsed following a cloudburst as rain wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh on August 14.

She came to Summer Hill where she met the victim families.

Hugging the women, Gandhi assured them that the state government would provide them all help and that she would visit them again.

Sharing the sorrows of people, she said she has a house in Shimla and it is her moral duty to be among her people during crisis.

Speaking with media, she urged the Prime Minister to focus and provide all help to people who were devastated by rains in Himachal.

Gandhi said that she has discussed with Congress Himachal chief and Mandi MP Pritibha Singh that a representation over the losses due to rains in Himachal should be presented in the special session of the Parliament, convincing the Central government to declaring it a “national disaster”.

Gandhi on Tuesday had visited rain-affected areas of Kullu and Mandi districts and reviewed relief and restoration works.

She urged the Centre to rise above “party politics” and declare Himachal calamity a ‘national disaster’.

Later, she visited Deori village in Drang in Mandi district to review the damage caused due to cloudburst and landslides.

At least 270 people have died in rain-related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.