BSP accuses BJP over Varanasi tragedy

With Congress attaching a religious fervour to Tuesday’s tragedy in Varanasi, BSP accused the ruling BJP for the incident and demanded stern action against those found guilty.

On reaching Varanasi to meet the injured on Wednesday, state Congress chief Raj Babbar alleged that the people of Holy City believe that the incident was a consequence of the cruse of demolishing temples in the city by district authorities. 

Babbar said that PWD minister Keshav Prasad Maurya should step down owning moral responsibility of the collapse and a high-level probe be ordered to find out those responsible, other than the engineers, for throwing security norms to winds.

"I have been informed that in order to complete the flyover before elections, three Vinayak (Ganesha) temples were demolished. People here believe that the incident is a consequence of the curse of temple demolition," said Babbar, while talking to media persons after visiting the injured in hospitals. 

The Congress leader said that the BJP wanted to complete several projects before Lok Sabha polls and hence were violating all security norms. 

"The bridge collapse in the city was one of the reasons for such a hurry by engineers. By punishing engineers and officials, the state government cannot shrug of its responsibility," said Babbar. 

"The PWD minister should resign and a probe should be ordered to find out the role of local ministers who were putting pressure on engineers to speed up the work," the state Congress chief said.

Claiming that Rs 5 lakh compensation for the victims' families was too little, Babbar said that each family be given at least Rs 50 lakhs as ex-gratia while the injured be provided Rs 20 lakhs each.

Meanwhile, BSP chief Mayawati expressed her grief over the deaths in Varanasi bridge collapse and seemed equally annoyed with the BJP leaders's attitude and  taking the matter 'lightly'. 

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mayawati said that merely commenting that the Varanasi tragedy was 'Mann par bojh' indicated that BJP leaders were not at all serious about the geravity of the incident. 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the BSP chief said that a high-level probe be ordered and the guilty should be punished. 

However, the former UP CM was critical on the state of affairs in the state and claimed that 'Jungle Raj' prevailed with law and order dipping to an all time low.

"Criminals are having a field day in UP and the BJP government has failed to control them. Besides, the state government has also failed in checking rising atrocities against Dalits and backwards," Mayawati said.