Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi | BJP leader and former union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged on Friday that the landslides in Wayanad and the resultant loss of lives was caused by the negligence of successive state governments in Kerala since 2009.

Speaking to reporters in the national capital, Chandrasekhar said what happened in Wayanad as "not a tragedy, but a crime".

He said that questions must be asked about the reasons for the negligence and the alleged commercial interests behind it, as the cost "was borne by the people of Wayanad".

"There has been negligence and we should not forget who should be held accountable for it," he added.

The BJP leader also took a dig at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress leader raised the issue of ED raids to "escape" from questions on why the landslides happened and who should be held accountable for it.

"This has been the strategy adopted by the Congress to avoid tough questions," he claimed.

Chandrasekhar said that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has given all possible help to the state and shall continue to do so.

As many as 205 people have died and 264 have been injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district three days ago, according to the district administration.

Around 300 people are still missing and rescue workers are battling adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings looking for survivors and bodies.