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Jaswant ready to accept blame for temple tragedy
| Incident underlines the necessity to regulate the flow of pilgrims who gather in large numbers at places of worship: CPI(M) |
TURNS DEATH LANE: The corridor leading to the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur, where 147 pilgrims were killed and over 50 were injured on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI: “Someone is responsible for the tragedy at the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur … I cannot say, it can be the administration or someone else,” Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur in 1989, said here on Tuesday reacting with shock to the tragedy that unfolded at the Chamunda Devi temple at the crack of dawn.
“No one has done this deliberately, but someone is responsible,” Mr. Singh, one of the founder trustees of the temple, said. “I am one of the founder trustees. If you wish to blame someone, I will accept the blame,” he said when asked why proper arrangements were not made in anticipation of a rush of devotees on the auspicious first day of the ‘navratras’ ahead of Dussehra.
In the BJP’s internal politics, Mr. Singh is not known to be an admirer of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. His wife had filed a case against her for allowing herself to be portrayed as a goddess. His remarks that it was possible the “administration” was responsible, was seen in that context although at one point he did say that “adequate” arrangements had been made.
An injured person being shifted to a hospital
His information was that “someone slipped” at a point where coconuts are broken to be offered at the temple. The water of hundreds of coconuts spilling at the point led to some one slipping. That led to the stampede in the separate queue for men, according to Mr. Singh. By afternoon the death toll had gone up to 144 he said, and was still rising with hundreds more injured. Till then all the dead were men. The women’s queue was not affected by the stampede.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and offered his condolences to the families of victims.
The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday expressed shock and sorrow over the deaths.
In its message, the CPI(M) also suggested drawing of regulations in order to avoid such manmade disasters. The party Polit Bureau said coming in the wake of the Naina Devi Temple stampede in August, this incident underlines the necessity for regulating the flow of pilgrims who gather in large numbers at places of worship and during religious occasions.
It said the National Disaster Management Authority should be entrusted with the task of formulating regulations to be observed in all States in order to avoid such disasters The Polit Bureau conveyed its heartfelt sympathy to all those who have lost their family members.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said she was shocked and pained at the news of the unfortunate tragedy which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and injuries to so many.
“My heart goes out to the members of the bereaved families who lost their beloved ones. It is my hope that those who have been undergoing treatment in various hospitals of the city will recover soon,” she said in her condolence message.
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