Faridabad (Hry), Feb 8 (PTI) Senior AAP leader Anurag Dhanda alleged on Sunday that the Surajkund swing tragedy here was a direct result of the Haryana government’s gross negligence.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also accused a Haryana minister of trying to shirk responsibility by calling the accident “God’s will”.
A giant “Tsunami” swing snapped mid-air and collapsed at the Surajkund International Self-Reliant Crafts Mela here on Saturday, killing a police inspector and injuring 12 others.
Dhanda, the AAP’s national media in-charge, described the incident as extremely tragic and shocking.
He claimed that the event being touted as “world-class” by the Haryana government and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini witnessed the tragedy due to security and administrative negligence.
The accident was not a coincidence, but a direct result of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s gross negligence, he alleged.
“The most shameful aspect is that a minister of the Haryana government is trying to evade responsibility by calling the accident ‘not the government’s fault, but God’s will’, Dhanda said in a statement.
The question is, if everything happens according to god’s will, then why is the entire system of government, administration, security arrangements and inspections in place, he added.
Such statements are like rubbing salt in the wounds of the victims and mocking the suffering of the public, the AAP leader said.
Haryana’s Tourism Minister Arvind Sharma told reporters at Faridabad that the certification for the swings installed at the fair is given by the district administration.
He said even the certification given on Saturday morning said the swings are okay.
“Maybe it was god’s will that such an incident that should not have taken place did take place (lekin koi param pita, parmatma ki koi aisa raha ke bhai jo yeh hadsa huwa, jo ki nahi hona chahiye tha),” Sharma said.
Dhanda accused the government of attempting a cover-up.
It has now emerged that the certificate issued for the installation of the rides was fake, he claimed.
The AAP leader questioned that when the chief minister himself made claims related to “security” and “order” when he attended the Surajkund fair recently, how did this accident happen? “Is the chief minister only responsible for cutting ribbons and posing for photographs or is he also responsible for ensuring the safety of the public? This incident has made it clear that the government’s claims are hollow and the reality on the ground is completely different,” Dhanda said in his statement in Hindi.
He said the AAP prays for a speedy recovery of the injured and conveys deepest condolences to the deceased police officer’s family.
“We demand that the government ensure complete and free treatment for all the injured and provide adequate compensation to the affected families. But simply providing compensation is not enough. Strict action must be taken against every officer and minister responsible for this accident,” Dhanda said.
He also said the Surajkund incident “is a reflection of the Haryana government’s style of working, administrative negligence and mentality of shirking accountability”.
“If the government does not take strict action now, public trust will be completely shattered. To prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future, what is needed is not mere rhetoric, but concrete and honest action,” he said.
Congress leader Deepender Hooda also said the government cannot shirk its responsibility over the accident.
“If the administration has turned this event into a source of revenue, then the responsibility for security protocols also rests with the administration,” he said.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Abhay Singh Chautala said the incident points to “administrative negligence and serious shortcomings in security management”.
At such an event, which is organised on a big scale, the lack of adequate security and emergency arrangements puts the lives of ordinary citizens at risk, he said.
The government should conduct a high-level inquiry into the incident, provide adequate financial assistance to the deceased police inspector’s family and offer a job to one of its members, Chautala said.
Saini said on Sunday that the death and injuries in the Surajkund incident are deeply painful, and directed officials to ensure strict adherence to safety standards at the fair and other public events.
The chief minister said a probe has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind the collapse and announced a government job for a family member of the police inspector who died while trying to save people.
Around 19 people were riding the swing when it tilted around 6 pm on Saturday, before crashing onto the ground, leaving 12 people injured and one dead.
The deceased was identified as Jagdish Prasad, a 58-year-old on-duty police inspector who was awarded the Police Medal by the Haryana governor in 2019-20. PTI SUN RC
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