Kolkata stampede: Amit Shah visits hospital, meets injured devotees

Kolkata, October 18 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the private hospital in Kolkata and met some of the 14 individuals who were admitted there after the stampede at the community Durga Puja pandal that claimed 19 lives.Besides, inquiring from the hospital authorities about the medical conditions of the 14 people admitted there, the Union Home Minister also interacted with some of the injured individuals whose conditions were stable enough for the meeting.HM Shah was accompanied by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya.HM Shah arrived in Kolkata on Saturday night and had a series of Durga Puja-related events scheduled for Sunday, including a visit to the Belur Math, the international headquarters of Swami Vivekananda-founded Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district.However, amid the stampede tragedy, he cancelled all his scheduled programmes. Instead, this morning, he first went to the iconic Goddess Kali temple at Kalighat in South Kolkata and offered prayers. Thereafter, he reached the hospital accompanied by CM Adhikari and Bhattacharya. He will be returning to New Delhi later in the day,HM Shah also issued a social media post detailing his visit to the hospital. “I visited the hospital and met with the devotees injured in the accident at the Chorbagan Public Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata and inquired about their well-being. In this difficult time, the West Bengal government stands firmly with every injured person and affected family. I pray to Mother Durga that all the injured recover swiftly,” the Union Home Minister said.It is learnt that barring one individual, the conditions of 14 other persons admitted to the private hospital are more or less stable and out of danger, confirmed the state Health Minister, Dr Saradwat Mukherjee, who is himself an acclaimed medical practitioner.“Even the person whose condition is a bit serious, I will not use the word ‘crisis’ for him. I am hopeful that the death toll will not increase further. I am personally monitoring the treatment arrangements of the injured people,” Dr Mukherjee said.