Hours after a massive blaze at Mumbai’s Kamala Mills killed at least 14 and injured 16, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini cited the city’s rising population as a reason behind the fire.
“The administration has allowed every migrant to live in the city. However, looking at the rising population in the city, the authorities should have introduced some restrictions here to control the population,” the 65-year-old Lok Sabha BJP MP from Mathura told ANI.
The actor further proposed that “every city should cap its population limit. Migrants should be asked to go to another city if the city population reaches a certain number.”
While condoling the deaths, Malini lambasted the authorities for being lax in allowing the reckless construction of restaurants without much thought.
Astonished at the laxity of the municipal corporation in Mumbai, the actor remarked, “BMC has laid down strict rules for construction of houses. Even when we build bungalows we have to construct a driveway all around it. Likewise, there are so many restrictions under BMC. How did the BMC then allow the construction of restaurants like this?”
The BMC hauled up the ‘1 Above’ restaurant thrice this year alone, and dragged the owners to court on charges of several criminal violations, as The Times of India reported. Reportedly, five BMC officials have been suspended after the Kamla Mills fire left 14 people dead on 29 December.
While the actor lampooned the BMC, she praised the police’s efforts. “Police is doing a great job, but there are so many people,” she added.
In a statement to CNN-News18, BJP spokesperson Shaina NC supported Hema Malini’s claim, emphasising that serious questions must be asked at his hour. “What has said must be a simplistic argument. This incident has happened due to the negligence of BMC. 14 lives could have been saved if the administration was more accountable.”
However, this not the first in Malini’s list of public gaffes. In September, 2016, she had garnered headlines with her remark that widows from West Bengal and Bihar should not flock to Vrindavan and that there are many famous temples in Bengal and Bihar too, where the widows can stay.
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