'State-sponsored murders...': BJP blames Stalin for Chennai air show tragedy
The deaths of five spectators at the Chennai air show have sparked a political feud in Tamil Nadu. The Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the MK Stalin-led government, accusing it of incompetence and negligence. Meanwhile, the ruling DMK downplayed the fatalities, saying that such occurrences "have also happened in many temple festivals."
What BJP Spokesperson said
"The tragic deaths 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 (MK Stalin) is directly responsible," BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said. "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," Poonawalla.
DMK defends government's actions amid criticism
In response to the BJP's accusations, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan defended the state government's actions. "People were gathered in large numbers at the Marina Beach... The event was conducted by the Indian Air Force... The crowd was unexpectedly huge which Marina could not hold," he told ANI.
Unmanageable gatherings should be avoided: Kanimozhi
DMK leader Kanimozhi also expressed her sorrow over the incident, stating that unmanageable gatherings should be avoided. The air show, which began at 11:00am and continued until 1:00pm saw spectators standing in scorching heat for hours. This led to over 200 people being rushed to nearby government hospitals with symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
AIADMK condemns DMK government for poor planning
AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami also criticized the DMK government for inadequate planning and poor crowd management. "Administrative arrangements and crowds were not managed properly, and the police force was inadequate," he posted on X. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai said that the deaths and injuries as preventable if proper facilities had been in place.
Health Minister defends government's efforts amid resignation calls
Facing calls for his resignation, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian defended the state government's efforts. He claimed that they had gone above and beyond the Indian Air Force's requests for the event. "The state government formed two medical teams with doctors and nurses for emergency response...We had 100 beds and 65 doctors ready at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for any emergency," he stated.
