The Congress and the BJP are at daggers drawn over death of 115 pilgrims in a stampede at Ratangarh temple in Datia district of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.
The Congress attacked Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for ‘misgovernance’ and sought his resignation for the “man-made” tragedy. The BJP quickly dismissed the demand and pointed out such incidents have also taken in states ruled by Congress and other parties.
“A stampede had happened over five years ago at a similar place which left many people injured. The MP Government learnt no lessons from it. Its misgovernance and rampant corruption lies at the roots of the tragedy. It should take moral responsibility and the CM should resign,” AICC’s communication department head Ajay Maken told reporters.
Maken claimed that cops present to maintain order in the place were collecting bribe of `200 from every tractor driver to drive into a no-entry-zone for vehicles. “It cramped the entire area and it became a reason for the disaster... The MP Government and the CM could not escape responsibility for such a big man-made tragedy,” he said. Party general secretary and former State CM Digvijay Singh levelled similar allegations. “Officials are collecting bribe under the nose of BJP leaders and no action is being taken against them,” he claimed. “Reason for Ratangarh Mata disasterIJ Police was charging `200 from each tractor and allowing in no-traffic zone. Good Governance in MPIJ” he said in a tweet.
The BJP “denounced” Congress strategy to derive political mileage out of the tragedy. “In such a tragedy all parties should discuss the ways as to how to avoid such tragedies in future. Ratangarh is not an isolated incidence. Every year such tragedies at different pilgrimages are happening, which must be avoided,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.
The party leader claimed 106 lives were lost in Sabarimala tragedy, 350 pilgrims died in at Mandhara Devi in Maharashtra, 63 peoples lost their lives in Kunda in UP, 40 people died in a similar stampede in Kumbh Mela.
“There are many more other such tragedies which have taken place in the country. The Central Government must treat them as a national calamity and must plan for a foolproof mechanism to avoid recurrence of such accidents,” Javadekar demanded. BJP leader Kirti Azad also hit out at Digvijay Singh, saying the Congress leader had the habit of indulging in “politics in the time of disaster”. “We should be with families of victims, showing our emotions, sharing their grief. Singh does not lose a single opportunity to make a political statement out of such disasters,” he said.