What About Mumbai, America?: Nitish’s Whataboutery on Bihar Floods

“Some regions in Patna being flooded is the only problem? What’s happening in America?” Nitish Kumar said.

File image of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

(Photo: PTI)

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday, 1 October stoked controversy after he lost his temper on the media over the flood-situation in Bihar and resorted to ‘whataboutery’ by pointing out floods across India and the world.

Kumar, who visited the flood affected areas in Patna, spoke to the media after the inspection, where a female journalist could be heard asking repeatedly, “What have you done for 14 years?”

Several other journalists were also struggling to ask questions when Kumar lost his cool.

“I ask you, how many regions across the country are flooded? How many regions across the world are flooded? Are some regions in Patna being flooded the only problem? What’s happening in America?” Kumar said.

Kumar said that the state sprung into action immediately after flood alert by the authorities.

“The day the flood situation arose, we started making the required arrangements. Relief work is underway. Several arrangements are being made for pumping out the flood water,” he said.

“It is a natural calamity. At times, it is a drought situation, while at other times, there are heavy rains in the state,” he added.

Death toll in the Bihar's rain related disasters on Tuesday mounted to 30 even as relief and rescue operations gathered momentum with improved weather conditions and assistance commissioned by the Centre.

Residents of marooned Patna localities like Hanuman Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and Kankar Bagh woke up to roars of Indian Air Force helicopters hovering in the sky with food and other relief material.

The citizens, forced to stay indoors for more than 48 hours, dashed to the roofs of their buildings and pulled off their shirts waving these at the choppers in a fervent bid to draw attention of IAF personnel towards their need for help.

NDRF, which has been engaged in relief and rehabilitation since Sunday while the city was still being pounded by heavy rains, stepped up their efforts on Tuesday.

Kumar also surveyed the Shri Krishna Memorial auditorium which has been converted into a storehouse for relief material. His deputy Sushil Kumar Modi inspected the sump houses which are working overtime to flush out waters from the inundated localities.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)