The horrific stampede in Mumbai that killed more than 25 people while leaving nearly 40 injured has brought the BJP governments both at the Centre and in Mahrashtra under the scanner.
Both governments were criticised because citizens in Mumbai had highlighted the impending danger many months ago. Famous cartoonist, Manjul, had tweeted about an accident waiting to happen way back in January this year when he tweeted this, “Pre-rush hour Parel station. The only staircase which people use to exit and enter the station. A major accident is waiting to happen.”
Pre-rush hour Parel station. The only staircase which people use to exit and enter the station. A major accident is waiting to happen. pic.twitter.com/FWMrTboh4a
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) February 1, 2017
Elphinstone station gets very crowded during the peak hours as office goers make their way to Parel area through this footover bridge. Both Elphinstone and Parel are among Mumbai’s busiest stations. The area has a large number of offices in the vicinity with most TV channels also being in Lower Parel area.
Congress’s Sanjay Nirupam lashed out at the state government for the criminal neglect alleging that the proposal to construct a subway was passed by the previous Congress-NCP government in 2013.
“The accident at Elphinstone station was bound to happen. That’s because the footbridge is so narrow that railway should have created an alternative passage. The proposal to create a subway was passed in 2013. But more than three-and-a-half years after being in government has not done anything on that.”
He said that the country did not need a bullet train but good facilities in the existing railway services.
However, the most shocking statement came from a spokesperson from the BJP’s youth wing, BJYM, who blamed the victims for the stampede.
Amrita Bhinder, who identifies herself as a spokesperson of BJYM, tweeted, “Stampede at Elphinstone railway station leaves 60 injured, 22 dead Stampede? People should take responsibility too!”
As expected, she received instant Twitter roasting for her comments, perceived utterly insensitive by social media users.
Concert and templates are choices – using train is a compulsion or a necessity! There are many other difference too! #elphinstone
— Faiz (@FaizSpeaks) September 29, 2017
Seriously?? ??
Please accept the failure of system mam..— Siddhartha Patil (@sidd_patil35) September 29, 2017
Extremely insensitive tweet. Easy to be judgemental when you don’t know ground reality.
— rashmi (@TweetsOfRashmi) September 29, 2017
Our government can’t fix a bridge but readily shell out 2500 Crs for a statue? And people like you are blaming the victims? Are you crazy?
— Prateek Malhotra (@prateek_94) September 29, 2017
Thanks for showing insensivity for a tragedy. not expected from a lady!
— Ashwin Kumar (@ashwin_09_08_89) September 29, 2017
Paid tweet. That’s the only possible explanation. Or perhaps, a silver spoon, unfortunately in the wrong orifice.
— Professor Leopard (@Vidhuvyala) September 29, 2017
Not so long ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the works for bullet train facility between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. His project has widely been criticised with critics highlighting that improving existing infrastructure ought to have been the top priority of the government.