BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on September 17 launched a scathing attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading misinformation and inflating figures related to the recent flood devastation in Punjab. The remarks came after Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed that the state had suffered losses worth Rs 20,000 crore and that over 10 lakh animals had perished.
Amit Malviya refuted these claims, citing official data from the Punjab government. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Yet another pack of lies from Rahul Gandhi. In his letter to the Prime Minister, he claims 10 lakh animals have perished. But Punjab’s Animal Husbandry Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian (September 7) put the figure at 19,041 (including poultry), now reportedly about 34,000. Where did the missing 9.44 lakh animals go?”
Yet another pack of lies from Rahul Gandhi.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, he claims 10 lakh animals have perished. But Punjab’s Animal Husbandry Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian (Sept 7) put the figure at 19,041 (including poultry), now reportedly about 34,000. Where did… pic.twitter.com/GcMFvGg4as
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 18, 2025
He further questioned Gandhi’s estimate of economic loss due to the floods, stating that the Punjab Chief Secretary had submitted a damage assessment of Rs 13,289 crore to the Centre, significantly lower than the Rs 20,000 crore figure mentioned in Gandhi’s letter.
“Why this deliberate falsehood? While the union government is extending full support to flood-hit Punjab, Rahul Gandhi is busy reducing Punjabis to political pawns. Why exploit Punjab’s pain for petty politics?” Malviya asked.
In his letter dated September 16, Rahul Gandhi appealed to the Prime Minister to announce a comprehensive relief package for Punjab. Recalling his recent visit to the flood-affected areas, he said he had personally witnessed the scale of devastation and the “shocking human cost” of the disaster.
Gandhi claimed that over 4 lakh acres of paddy crop had been destroyed and that more than 10 lakh animals had perished. He criticised the initial Rs 1,600 crore relief announced by the Union Government as inadequate, stating that it “does grave injustice to the people of Punjab.”
“The flood has also rendered vast tracts of land uncultivable in the near future. Even today, thousands of acres are submerged and villages remain cut off. Lakhs of people, mostly from marginalised communities, have lost their homes,” Gandhi wrote.
The Congress leader emphasised that the situation demands a bold and immediate response from the Centre, urging that the people of Punjab, especially farmers and vulnerable communities, must be reassured that India stands with them in their hour of need.
However, the BJP has dismissed Gandhi’s letter as politically motivated and factually misleading. By misrepresenting official data, Malviya alleged, the Congress leader is “undermining relief efforts and misleading the public at a time when unity and accurate information are critical.”
