Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 7 : BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan hit out at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government over the death of 5 people due to overcrowding during air show by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Marina Beach in Chennai and said that the state government was incapable and unprepared to deal with this event.
CR Kesavan said, "Is this the DMK government's Dravida model of utter negligence and incompetence? Yesterday's tragedy at Chennai Air Force show very clearly showed that the State Government, led by DMK, was clearly incapable and unprepared to deal with this event. It is startling because barely a month before you had F4 night racing championships held in Chennai by the DMK govt. Such priority and precedence was accorded to this F4 event. The administration left no stone unturned in making sure that everything went properly. Why the same priority could not be accorded to this Air Show is the question."
He said that this Air Show was happening after 21 years in Chennai and state government should have known that the event would draw large crowd.
He further said, "The government arrangements were not up to the mark. They mishandled the situation very clearly. The DMK government, rather than trying to shift the blame and the responsibility, should accept responsibility for the loss of lives and tragedy that occurred yesterday."
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that it was a state-sponsored murder and disaster for which the DMK government and Chief Minister is directly responsible.
Shehzad Poonawalla said, "The tragic death of five people and more than 200 people being hospitalized in the Chennai air show is not a tragedy, it is a state-sponsored murder and disaster for which the DMK government and Chief Minister is directly responsible as his and the government's priority is the elevation of dynasty and corruption...The Chief Minister, Health Minister, DMK government is responsible for the incident...The Chief Minister should take a step down and take accountability for this"
Earlier DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi expressed her grief over the deaths of 5 people at the Marina beach during Air Show conducted by Indian Air Force on Sunday.
In a post on X she shared, "It is very painful and sorrowful to know that 5 have died due to soaring heat after attending IAF Air Show at Marina Beach, Chennai. We have to avoid gatherings which cannot be managed in future."
DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that the Marina be, ach does not have so much capacity and it did not happen during the show.
TKS Elangovan said. "It was most unexpected crowd. 15 lakh people gathered at Marina. This is conducted by Air Force and we cannot place chairs everywhere. There is a limited space. The show was conducted from 11 am to 1 pm and most people came with umbrellas. Air Force must have conducted discussion with the Government of Tamil Nadu but Marina cannot hold so much crowd. Government cannot provide water bottle to everybody. In such huge crowd there cannot be queue to come out. This did not happen during the show. It happened when people were coming out."
Hitting out at the opposition he said that these people can only accuse but cannot manage anything.
"Immediately more than 100 people were taken to hospitals and given treatment. The people who are criticising were thrown out of power by the people," he added.
5 people died after suffering from the after effects of the excessive heat and more than 200 people were injured and admitted to the hospital for treatment during the IAF 'AIR Show' program held at Chennai Marina Beach on Sunday.
The Indian Air Force on Sunday organised an Air Show at Chennai's Marina Beach ahead of the upcoming 92nd Air Force Day on October 8.