By Express News Service
MIDNAPORE: At least 76 people were injured after a shade crashed due to heavy rains leading to a stampede during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Collegiate Grounds in Midnapore town in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal on Monday.
At least three persons are critical and have been shifted to the surgical department of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, where the victims are admitted. Nine of the injured are women.
The incident led to a stampede among people trapped under the shade while the Prime Minister, who witnessed the incident from the dais while delivering the speech, attempted to distract other attendees from the incident by shouting slogans fearing that the commotion might lead to a wider stampede.
He later visited the hospital and met the victims.
"Due to PM's visit, excited youth climbed on the shade while heavy rains during the past couple of days had made the ground soft. Most of the people have been injured due to the stampede that was caused due to the collapse. Some have been injured in the head. The entire responsibility of the incident is that of the state BJP leadership. We will look into the causes of the incident and initiate a probe to find whether it was a deliberate attempt or an accident," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.
Eyewitnesses said that the injuries were limited as the structure crashed gradually and not at one go. On the other hand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted promising that the state government would provide medical treatment to the victims.
"We pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured at the Midnapore rally today. The government is giving all help for medical treatment," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Trinamool Congress supremo saying that the people's discipline despite the incident was an indication for the end of her rule.
"I will never forget this day. Coming from a state like Gujarat, I cannot imagine that even after 1/3rd of the people gathered in the rally coming under the crashed shade, the rest of the crowd maintained discipline and did not panic. Mamata didi, look at the discipline and power of the people. The people who are not deterred by a natural calamity, you think your terror can deter them?" he said.
Meanwhile, a heated exchange was witnessed between BJP president Dilip Ghosh and Union minister and Asansol's BJP MP Babul Supriyo due to the incident. Speaking on the incident, Ghosh said: "There was some argument as he was pointing out faults and I asked him that he should have told these well in advance not at the last moment."
On the other hand, 15 police officials including an additional superintendent of police, a sub-inspector and civic volunteers were injured when BJP workers attacked them en route to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Midnapore, at Chowinghee in Kharagpur on Monday.
Sources revealed that the mob turned violent after police asked them to walk till the venue due to traffic congestion. The injured have been admitted to Kharagpur sub-divisional hospital. Nobody has been arrested so far.
