"Info From WhatsApp University": DMK On Finance Minister's Flood Alert Claim

The blame game between the Centre and Tamil Nadu over the devastating floods in the state's southern districts escalated on Friday, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claiming that the weather office had issued a warning well in advance and questioning the steps taken by the DMK government. This prompted a strong response from the DMK, which accused her of "getting information from Whatsapp University".

As many as 31 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, and Tenkasi districts, according to Ms Sitharaman. 

The first volley was fired on Thursday, when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin said that an alert for extremely heavy rainfall was issued by the Met Department only on December 17, the day the districts began to get flooded.  

"Only on December 17 did the Met Department alert 'extremely heavy rainfall' for the 17th and 18th," Mr Stalin said during a visit to the flood-affected districts. 

Responding to Mr Stalin's claims, Ms Sitharaman said on Friday that the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has advanced equipment and had forecast rainfall in the four districts on December 17 at least five days ahead of time. 

"The information was given as early as December 11 and 12. They issued an alert that extremely heavy rainfall would occur around December 14-17 in these districts. They gave a cycle of warnings every five days. So, anyone who claims that they did not get advance warnings must take note of this," the finance minister said.

The DMK then hit back with the 'Whatsapp University' jibe, which is often used by detractors of the BJP to suggest that the party's IT cell and its ecosystem spread misinformation on social media. 

DMK spokesperson A Saravanan said, "If Nirmala spoke as a BJP politician, she has taken information from their 'WhatsApp University'. If she spoke as a minister, she has no grip on facts."

NDTV's analysis of alerts from the weather office finds no mention of extremely heavy rainfall or very heavy rain either on December 11 or 12. Alerts on very heavy rainfall began getting issued on December 14 and, only on the afternoon of December 17 - after torrential rains began pounding the southern districts - was an extremely heavy rainfall alert issued. 

Mr Saravanan added, "Only on December 18 did the Met department tweet a red alert. It was an orange alert till the 17th."

Deployment

While Ms Sitharaman said the Centre had deployed helicopters, the National Disaster Response Force and the Army for rescue and relief, the DMK shot back saying the government is duty-bound to do this and can't project it as a favour as if it is being done in a foreign country. 

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu said, "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has humiliated the people of Tamil Nadu. Her language is like towards an enemy nation in war".

Chief Minister Stalin has demanded declaring the two successive floods in the state as a national disaster. He has also sought a flood relief package of Rs 12,000 crore for Chennai and the adjoining districts that were flooded after Cyclone Michaung, and Rs 2,000 crore interim relief for southern districts. 

The Centre has released Rs 450 crore as part of the Rs 900-crore annual dues under the state disaster response fund, but no extra funds for the damage from the recent floods yet. 

Ms Sitharaman said, "There is nothing called a national disaster. Even the Uttarakhand disaster wasn't called a national disaster".

The finance minister also took potshots at Mr Stalin for attending the meeting of the INDIA bloc in New Delhi when southern Tamil Nadu was reeling under the effects of the torrential rain. "When we deployed NDRF, he was in Delhi," she said. The DMK has said Mr Stalin also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to release relief funds.