BJP, RSS reach out to cyclone-hit people

Chennai: As the efforts to rescue the fishermen is apace, BJP leaders rushed to the cyclone-hit Kanyakumari district to oversee the rescue and relief operations, putting the R. K. Nagar by-poll on the back burner for now.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who rushed to the Ockhi-ravaged coastal district in the south on Sunday evening was joined by BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan. The Minister, who reviewed the relief measures, visited Suchindram, Thirupathisaram and Kanyakumari and heard the grievances of the affected people.

According to sources in the BJP here a group of fishermen from neighbouring Tuticorin district who set out to petition the Minister about eight fishermen who went missing from their fishing town, were pleasantly surprised when they were told that the eight missing men were traced in Maldives by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

 “They were told that efforts were on to bring them to Tuticorin… they came to petition the Minister but the occasion turned into a thanks giving meeting. They thanked the Minister and also the defence forces and left for home happily,” a BJP senior told this correspondent.

 Following the calamitous conditions, the Sangh Parivar swung into action, organising themselves in teams, and distributed food, medicines and clothing to the displaced.

“The RSS Swayamsevaks too involved in the massive relief operation both in Kanyakumari and Kerala, and the messures would continue for some more days,” the leader said.

Meanwhile, with Monday being the last day for filing of nomination for the by-election, BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan will submit his papers in the afternoon.

He would begin his poll campaign from Tuesday. Asserting that the party was doing everything to trace the missing fishermen and also to rehabilitate the cyclone affected people, party senior M. Chakravarthy says, “we will have to focus our attention on the by-polls too. We have sizable vote bank in the constituency and we hope to make a mark.”