Rs 1,600-cr flood relief grave injustice with Punjab, says Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday reiterated his demand for a substantial central package for flood-hit Punjab while terming Rs 1,600 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “grave injustice” with the state.

Earlier, Gandhi had sought a relief package of Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre following his visit to the state on September 15.

Posting a video of his visit to flood-affected areas in Amritsar and Gurdaspur on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said the state suffered an estimated loss of Rs 20,000 due to the floods.

“Millions of homes have been destroyed, crops over more than 4 lakh acres have been ruined, and a large number of animals have been swept away,” he said terming the central package a “grave injustice”.

Gandhi also praised the resilience of the people of Punjab, saying, “I am fully confident that they will once again stand Punjab on its feet, they just need support and strength.”

Earlier in a letter to the PM, he had said, “Punjab will rise again. In their hour of need, we must reassure every farmer, every soldier, and every family in Punjab that India stands with them. We must come together and extend all possible support to help rebuild their future,” he had said.

The floods have caused widespread destruction in Punjab, with standing crop on around 4.81 lakh acres destroyed and 57 lives lost. The floods have impacted over 2,300 villages across all 23 districts in the state.