Kerala CM hits back at Amit Shah

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He stated that what he said was not based on facts. The alert sounded by the IMD was Yello and Orange coded

The forecast we got about the landslide from the center was worded 'low possibility of landslides', Vijayan said.

In the Rajya Sabha, Shah on Wednesday said the Centre had sent multiple advance warnings, starting as early as July 23, to the Kerala government about possible floods and landslide and nine NDRF teams were rushed to the state the same day.

"There were accusations, whether in the absence of information or what I do not know but I need to specify here through the House to the entire nation. They kept saying early warning, early warning...I would like to specify that on July 23, the Kerala government was given an early warning by the central government," Shah asserted.

He further said, "On July 23, seven days prior, then again on July 24, and July 25. On July 26 it was informed that there will be heavy rainfall of more than 20 centimeters, there is a possibility of a landslide, there could be a rush of mud and people could even die by getting buried beneath it."