Did Amritsar Event Have Govt Nod? Politicians Begin Blame Game

Politicians played blame game over the administration permitting the event to take place near a live railway track.

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal addressing a press conference regarding the achievements of Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

(Photo: IANS)

Even as a train plowed into a Dusshera event in Amritsar’s Jora Phatak on Friday, 19 October, killing at least 60 people and injuring several others, politicians in Punjab took to playing the blame game over the administration allegedly permitting the event to take place near a live railway track.

Speaking to CNN News18, BJP leader Harsimrat Kaur questioned the administration’s perceived laxity.

“How could an administration give permission to hold an event such as this so close to the tracks? Especially if it is a live track with trains running across every few minutes, and so much noise from the firecrackers - nobody heard the train and there were no barricades there.”

Meanwhile, MoS Railways Manoj Sinha, in a statement to India Today, said they had received no request for the effigy burning near the railway tracks, adding that he did not want to turn the tragedy into a blame game.

BS Majithia, meanwhile blamed Navjot Kaur’s presence at the event for the tragedy. Kaur had been invited to the event as the chief guest.

Speaking to News18, Majithia claimed that Kaur had arrived late, he said that if had she arrived on time, the event would have wrapped up much earlier, before the train was scheduled to pass through the tracks. He further stated - “responsibility must start at the top, not from the bottom.”

Several eyewitness reports also claimed that Kaur had left the spot after the accident, without helping those injured. An India Today report also stated that the railway crossing where the accident took place was not barricaded or closed off, and the security personnel had ben deployed for Kaur’s protection.

However, Kaur refuted these reports, claiming that she had left the event soon after the effigy was set ablaze.

“I left as soon as the effigy had been set ablaze. I wasn’t there when the accident took place.”

Pointing out the breakneck speed of the train that rammed into the standers-by, Kaur also questioned the alleged ‘oversight’ by the railways, claiming that the Dusshera celebrations had happened at the site year after year.

“If they know there was such an event happening near the tracks, they should have at least slowed the train down. This is a big lax on part of the railways,” she said.