At a massive public ceremony when Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented social reformer Appasaheb Dharmadhikari with the “Maharashtra Bhushan-2022” Award, at least 11 people died of heat stroke and more than 40 others were hospitalised.
Late on Sunday night, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and others hurried to the MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai to inquire about the well-being of the patients there.
Ajit Pawar, the head of the opposition NCP, Uddhav Thackeray, the president of the Shiv Sena (UBT), and other Congress officials visited the hospital early on Monday and spoke with the patients.
After speaking with the victims, Pawar claimed that it seemed there had been a stampede since everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible.
According to Thackeray, the event was postponed from Sunday at 5 p.m. to Monday at 10.30 a.m. because Shah “had no time,” which resulted in the death of innocent people.
This is the “most insensitive administration,” according to State Congress President Nana Patole, who also called for the Chief Minister’s resignation for the mistakes that contributed to the tragedy.
Atul Londhe, the chief spokesman, said that since it was a government event, it was the government’s responsibility to assure everyone’s safety.
“There have been so many fatalities. Londhe insisted that the government should be charged with culpable manslaughter and that those guilty should face punishment.
Preeti Sharma-Menon, state president of the Aam Aadmi Party, expressed dismay at the significant death toll.
Others have questioned why the heat issue was not considered prior to the planning of a Rs 13 crore mega-event with so many speakers, including Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, who gave a long speech when the audience was obviously suffering in the blazing sun.
At the height of the summer, Londhe described it as “careless” to plan such a sizable event on the open ground without a marquee or other kind of cover.
In fact, Amit Shah praised the audience during his address for waiting patiently in the 42-degree heat as a sign of their love for Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
The event’s organisers said that around 20 lakh people came, and Shinde, who is also a student of the awardee, boasted that the crowd’s size had broken prior records.
Since April 14, people from the Konkan and other regions of the state have been descending onto Mumbai in buses, trucks, or boats to see the well publicised event.
Several people could be seen using scarves, caps, umbrella hats, kerchiefs, dupattas, and other headwear to protect themselves from the sweltering heat during the over three-hour-long ceremony yesterday afternoon.
A sombre Shinde pleaded with political leaders “not to politicise” the tragedy as it became into a significant political scandal for the government.
In addition, he said that the other patients are receiving the required treatment, and he offered a payment of Rs. 5,00,000 to the deceased’s relatives.
Appasaheb Dharmadhikari gave the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund the award money of Rs 25 lakh shortly after receiving the “Maharashtra Bhushan Award.”
