Promising to offer all possible help to the railway stampede victims and their kin, Delhi BJP on Sunday called off all scheduled engagements for the day as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives while AAP leaders said the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station was a glaring example of "gross mismanagement" and lack of crowd control measures. Delhi Congress also called for a detailed investigation into the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station that claimed 18 lives and said the government should announce aid for the victims' families.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and other senior leaders have cancelled all their political programmes for the day in view of the incident, a party statement said. Earlier, Sachdeva visited New Delhi Railway Station and LNJP Hospital, where he met the people injured while boarding the train, said a Delhi BJP spokesman. He said Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda has spoken to doctors and officials and has given appropriate instructions. Sachdeva also informed that while the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government has deployed a large medical team on duty at various hospitals, the Railways has arranged three special trains for Prayagraj.
Several BJP leaders, including national vice president and Delhi unit incharge Baijayant Panda, MLA Kailash Gahlot, MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, former Union minister Harsh Vardhan also condoled the loss of lives and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.
Condoling the loss of lives, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said the death of the devotees headed to Mahakumbh was extremely sad and painful. Hitting back at the BJP, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia wrote on X "Aapda Sarkar..."
The word 'AAPda' (disaster) was used by BJP leaders ahead of the Delhi Assmebly polls to describe the Aam Aadmi Party's alleged corruption and failures. The BJP ousted AAP from power in Delhi after 10 years winning 48 of 70 seats.
AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said the stampede shook all, and called it a a glaring example of "gross mismanagement" and lack of crowd control measures.