The death of 19 people in the Chorebagan puja pandal stampede has plunged Bengal’s maiden BJP government, led by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, into an unforeseen politico-administrative crisis at the start of the state’s biggest festive season.
The tragedy, which also left at least 25 people injured, has triggered major questions about police preparedness, crowd management and the administration’s failure to ensure safety at a major crowd-pulling Durga Puja venue.
The political embarrassment for the saffron dispensation has been compounded by questions over the puja committee’s political connections. The Trinamool Congress, led by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, alleged that inadequate police presence, poor crowd control and a failure to provide emergency assistance had contributed to the disaster.
Demanding resignation of Suvendu, Mamata’s party also pointed to the involvement of the Jorasanko’s BJP MLA Vijay Ojha as chairman of the puja committee, the presence of Tamoghna Ghosh, chief of the BJP’s north Calcutta organisational district, in the committee, besides that of “Suvendu’s nephew” Debdeep Adhikari.
“@SuvenduWB, have some shame! There is not an iota of remorse in the illegitimate CM’s response. Instead of addressing the tragedy with the seriousness it deserves, his speeches are filled with political rhetoric and attempts to deflect attention,” wrote Trinamool on X.
“And seriously, are you comparing floods and cloudbursts with a stampede at a Puja Pandal where YOUR OWN NEPHEW IS THE CHIEF PATRON? How does that comparison absolve anyone of responsibility for the failures in crowd management and emergency response?” it asked. “ENOUGH WITH THE WHATABOUTERY. IT’S TIME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Mamata’s nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee attacked Suvendu, asking whether he would have “his nephew” arrested. However, the BJP’s Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya rubbished the claim of Debdeep being Suvendu’s nephew.
“As far as I know, the chief minister’s nephew is a minor and lives in Contai,” he claimed.
Trinamool’s subsequent political offensive focused on the apparent contradiction between the government’s claims of administrative preparedness and the failure to prevent a catastrophe at a major public gathering.
Abhishek also questioned the accountability of those responsible for security and crowd management. Trinamool leaders called for action against the police leadership, with leaders like Kunal Ghosh accusing the administration of failing to anticipate the risks at a venue known to attract large crowds.
For Suvendu, the immediate challenge was to contain the damage while establishing that the government was acting decisively.
He visited the spot and hospital and remained there till the early hours of the morning, met victims’ families and announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased person.
The chief minister announced that he would meet the victims’ families personally on October 20 and 21 to hand over the cas compensation.
Suvendu said he would write to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court seeking a fact-finding inquiry led by a sitting judge, with the investigation examining possible lapses in crowd management and security. “Unlike the previous government which never made findings of investigations public, we will publish the report and take action. This is a commitment,” Suvendu said.
In a further sign of the gravity of the crisis, the government cancelled its Sunday engagements, including all celebrations associated with the festive season. Union home minister Amit Shah also called off his scheduled festival-related programmes in Calcutta and instead met the injured persons at a private hospital before going back to Delhi.
Suvendu, however, also sought to turn the tables on Trinamool, blaming the home guards appointed during the previous regime, who “acted irresponsibly” leaving the spot when the heavy downpour began on Saturday evening, leading to overcrowding of the narrow lane.
“The main complaint is against the temporary home guards. They were appointed two years ago.... I have asked for the entire list for a review,” said Suvendu, accusing them of leaving when rain began to pour. Suvendu termed such homeguards as “garbage”, which his government has been forced to carry.
CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said: “The shocking reality is that when the police were little bothered to ensure security to people rather busy protecting VIPs and to raise books stalls with bulldozers.”
The Congress’s Bengal unit chief Subhankar Sarkar questioned the police response at the site of the tragedy and their handling of the aftermath.
“Where were the police when the actual incident took place? The public is asking this question today,” Sarkar said, alleging that repeated calls by residents to the Lalbazar central police control room during the crisis failed to elicit an immediate response. Dismissing Suvendu’s subsequent actions as mere “eyewash”, he called for fundamental changes in the police’s approach.