Navi Mumbai: Extension To Panel Probing Kharghar Heatwave Deaths Triggers Ruckus In Assembly

Mumbai: The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Thursday witnessed a ruckus over 14 heatwave deaths during the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award ceremony in April. Many Congress members rushed to the well of the house even as culture minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the committee probing the incident has been given an extension.

Chavan alleges that the "govt is trying to save someone"

Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had moved an adjournment motion over the incident. He came down heavily on the government and accused it of “trying to save someone”. He said the government just appointed a committee and then it was given an extension after its stipulated time was over. “That was done through a government resolution. All these things indicate that efforts are being made to save someone,” Chavan said.

Chavan questioned the probe, the committee’s role and if the programme was conducted in the afternoon under someone’s pressure. “While we have been demanding cases for culpable homicide against those responsible for the incident, the committee doesn’t even seem to decide who the culprits are,” he said.

Mungantiwar said that raising the issue by adjournment motion was wrong. He referred to incidents during Chavan’s tenure when committees and commissions were given extensions, which angered the Congress members.

Extension a wastage of time, says Balasaheb Thorat

Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat also termed the extension as wastage of time. Mungantiwar, however, said not a single complaint has been filed by the kin of the deceased. “The IMD forecast was for 34.1 degrees Celsius on April 14. However, the actual temperature was 38 degrees,” the minister said, calling the debate “petty politics”.

Talking about past incidents, he recalled the lathi-charge on members of Gowari community, which led to 114 deaths (in Nagpur) when Sharad Pawar was chief minister. “In the Mandhardevi stampede, 293 people died in Satara district. But we never politicised those issues,” he said.