Was it deliberate: Congress attacks BJP over MP building fire
What's the story
A massive fire that broke out at the Satpura Bhawan in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal on Monday was doused after a night-long operation by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indian Air Force (IAF), and Indian Army. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Jitu Patwari attacked CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government of deliberately setting fire to "destroy evidence before the elections."
Context
Why does this story matter?
The fire has heightened political tensions in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, with opposition leaders accusing the ruling BJP of a "conspiracy to burn the documents of scams." Notably, similar fires were reported in 2018 just before the Assembly elections, in which a significant number of documents from various departments were destroyed. In June 2011, another fire broke out in the same building.
Quote
Is it conspiracy to burn scam documents: Arun Yadav
Congress leader Arun Yadav also raised similar concerns, adding, "When Priyanka Gandhi attacked...the scams while addressing in Jabalpur, a huge fire broke out in the Satpura Bhawan in which important files were burnt." Notably, a fire audit of the building was conducted 47 days ago.
Twitter Post
Pyre of evidence burnt: Patwari
सच की होली बन गई!
— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) June 13, 2023
सबूतों की भी चिता जल गई!
जुल्मी लुटेरे अब घर लौट रहे हैं,
संदेह के 'कागजों' में आग लग गई!https://t.co/NvXgXSuhZZ
Suspicion
Fire safety arrangements were reportedly inadequate
Reportedly, fire safety arrangements in the building were inadequate, and a hydraulic lift for fighting high-rise fires remained unused in a corner as firefighters struggled to douse the flames on the top floors using fire hoses. The records that were charred may include several files sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged nursing college recognition scam.
Incident
How the blaze started
The fire is believed to have been triggered by a short circuit in an air conditioner (AC) in the tribal welfare department on the third floor of the building. It quickly spread to the fourth floor, which houses the health directorate office, and then to the fifth and sixth floors. All employees and visitors were evacuated as the AC units blasted.