Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 18 (ANI): Following the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata that claimed 19 lives, Union Minister of State (MoS) Tokhan Sahu on Sunday said “not to politicise” the incident and added that the government stands with them.
He added that the Chief Minister of West Bengal has shown great sensitivity by announcing assistance.
Speaking to reporters on the stampede incident, MoS Sahu said, “…In the wake of such a tragic incident, we must all stand by those affected, out of a sense of humanity. No one should politicise this. The Chief Minister of West Bengal has shown great sensitivity by announcing assistance for the families of the deceased and by visiting the injured; the government stands with them…”
The incident occurred amid heavy crowds at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. The injured were shifted to hospitals for treatment as authorities initiated measures to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stampede.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a job for the family of each victim. An investigation by the Special Task Force (STF) began to fix accountability for the incident.
The Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, along with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) and Commissioner of Police (CP), is closely monitoring the situation.
Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, has been imposed in parts of the city for three days, from October 18 to 20.
According to an order issued by Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, the restrictions apply to the area under Bowbazar Police Station, bounded by College Street, CR Avenue, Collotola Street and Eden Hospital Road.
The order prohibits unlawful assemblies of five or more persons, carrying lathis, lethal or other dangerous weapons, and any acts likely to cause a breach of peace or disturb public tranquillity in the specified area.
Further reacting to the opposition’s protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row, MoS Tokhan Sahu added, “The opposition is attempting to mislead the people of the country. While a democracy grants the right to dissent, it does not permit the creation of chaos. The opposition is solely focused on inciting chaos—consistently fostering such an environment in Delhi to spread disorder across the nation. However, the country knows that if it is secure today, it is because it is in the hands of Prime Minister Modi…” (ANI)
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