Video Producer: Srishti Tyagi
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
A case was registered against the organiser and decorator on Tuesday, 17 July, who erected a makeshift tent, a portion of which collapsed, at the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in West Bengal’s Midnapore, for negligence of duty, reported PTI.
At least 90 people were injured when a portion of the tent collapsed in Midnapore on Monday, 16 July, reported PTI quoting officials.
Superintendent of Police (West Midnapore) Alok Rajoria told PTI that the police had registered a case against the organiser and the decorator for "extreme negligence".
The Centre on Monday also sought a report from the West Bengal government on the collapse of a makeshift tent at the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Midnapore.
The tent collapsed while the PM was addressing the crowd at the Midnapore College grounds – his first public rally in West Bengal this year.
“The centre has sought a report from the West Bengal government on the tent collapse incident in Midnapore in which several people were injured,” a home ministry spokesperson said to PTI.
After addressing the rally, the prime minister went to the hospital to meet those injured in the collapse of a makeshift tent at the grounds.
According to officials, Modi saw the tent collapsing while he was in the middle of his speech. He immediately instructed special protection group (SPG) personnel standing near him to look after the people and attend to the injured.
The local BJP unit as well as Modi's personal staff, including his doctor and SPG personnel, swung into action to help the injured, officials said.
P Kundu, the principal of the government-run West Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, told PTI that 67 people, including 13 women, were admitted after the incident but no one was seriously injured.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to express concern for the victims.
‘Mamata Government Throttled Democracy’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the rally, launched a no-holds-barred attack against the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, charging it with running a "syndicate raj" without whose approval nothing moves.
According to Modi, the TMC's "political syndicate" rules in the land of "Vande Mataram" and "Jana-Gana-Mana" and pursues appeasement and vote bank politics.
The TMC government, he said, is operating syndicates to run chit funds, take away the rights of farmers and unleash atrocities on the poor.
We all know the condition of West Bengal under the present regime. Those who spoke of Maa, Mati, Manush (the TMC slogan) have been completely exposed.PM Modi
Prime Minister Modi, in his 40-minute speech, said that even Durga Puja rituals, as well as the tradition and heritage of West Bengal were under threat.
He was alluding to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s embargo on idol immersion last year in the wake of a Ramzan procession.
"If you want to start a new business or do any work you have to pay the syndicate. Investments have stopped coming to Bengal. The people are frustrated and fed up with this government," he said.
Referring to recent allegations of extortion from students for admission in colleges, Modi said the TMC has ruined the state further after a 34-year Left rule.
Discussing panchayat polls and violence in the state, the prime minister said he salutes the people for coming out in support of the BJP in huge numbers "despite the reign of terror let loose by the TMC".
"Our Dalit workers have been killed one by one. But yet the people of the state stood against the violence. This only speaks of the bright future of the state," he said, referring to the killing of three Dalit men in Purulia district recently.
He said the people of Tripura had brought about change in their state with courage and determination. In West Bengal, too, people can defeat the syndicate, he asserted.
Questioning the utilisation of central funds by the state government, Modi said not a single paise was spent without the nod of the TMC’s syndicate.
"The TMC does not have faith in democracy or in the election process of the country. They don't have faith in the judiciary either," he said.
Labelling his administration a "government of farmers", Modi told the rally that his government was their government and the previous regimes did not work for their development.
Several commissions were set up to look into the issue of increasing MSP but nothing happened, he said, adding, "Farmers are the soul of India. A country can't develop fully until and unless there is development of farmers."
"Our government works for farmers... from quality seeds to market. It is important to have warehouses to save the produce," he said.
Speaking about the increase in the MSP for paddy and other kharif crops, he said the central government had hiked the price per quintal of jute, which would help the jute growers of Bengal.
TMC’s Counter-Attack
In a counter attack, the TMC alleged that the BJP was running a syndicate that “peddles religious terrorism” and accused Modi of spreading “misinformation” against its government in West Bengal.
The BJP is running a syndicate of "fanaticism, lynching, torture, notebandi, and corruption", said a statement, jointly issued by TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee and its leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O' Brien.
Try as you may to harass us with your agencies, we will not bow down to any BJP syndicate. Bengal is for all. It is the cultural capital of the world. The BJP leaders speech proved that they have no development agenda at allA joint statement by TMC leaders Partha Chaterjee and Derek O’Brien
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)