Appasaheb’s followers wanted function during daytime: govt

The state govt has denied having had its way to hold the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in the day instead of in the evening which could have saved some attendees from sunstroke It said the government wanted to hold the function in the evening but followers of spiritual leader Appasaheb Dharmadhikari insisted on the daytimeHe is the recipient of the statersquos highest civilian honour His followers had suggested daytime because they did not want to travel back home late in the night after the ceremony The official clarification came following the Oppositionrsquos criticism that the government was careless in scheduling the event and had fallen short of providing the facilities Industry Minister and guardian minister of Raigad district Uday Samant told a media conference on Monday that the opposition was politicising the tragic deaths by creating unnecessary doubtsFollowing Chief Minister Eknath Shindersquos visit to the hospital opposition leaders Uddhav Thackeray Ajit Pawar Aaditya Thackeray and a host of others also went there Sunday night They were united in saying that if the function was held in the evening the organisers could have avoided the tragedy Some of them wanted the leadersofficials responsible in the Cultural Affairs Department and local administration booked for homicideldquoThe temperature is very high these days and hence it needs to be probed as to why the event was scheduled in the afternoon It could have been held in the evening and Amit Shah could have reached the venue by helicopterrdquo Pawar saidAbout 18 people who attended the function are being treated in hospital PicSameer MarkandeMNS president Raj Thackeray visited on Monday and endorsed the oppositionrsquos stand on the events schedule but ruled out any bad intention on part of the organisers ldquoThe government could have prevented the tragedy Instead of inviting so many people in the daytime for such a big event the award ceremony could have been held at Raj Bhavan It is difficult to hold any particular individual responsible for the unfortunate incidentrdquo he saidAlso readKharghar heatstroke deaths Four avoidable lapses that led to tragedyIn reply to a question he said so many could be invited only with a political motive But Samant denied this The followers came in large numbers on their own There was no need to invite themrdquo he retorted Samant confirmed 13 deaths and informed that 18 more people were being treated at various hospitals Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwarrsquos office said he would not address a media conference or brief media personsAdvanced startSamant said it wasnrsquot a matter to be politicised ldquoThe state government has worked in consultation with Dharmadhikarirsquos followers Some 5000 Shri Sadasya followers worked for many days with the administration to create the facility The state government wanted the function to be held in the evening but the followers suggested that the event be held in the morning or afternoon hours because they did not want the attendees to travel back home late in the night The followers were expected to travel long distances to reach the Kharghar venuerdquo said SamantThe minister said the function to be attended by the union minister Amit Shah was scheduled to begin at 12 noon but was rescheduled to start at 1030 am ldquoCM Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Shah to advance the start because they wanted the event to end earlyrdquo said Samant The minister blamed the heat wave on the climate that changed two days ahead of the event ldquoMany people had arrived a day before the event The climate changed in two days leading the temperature to rise to 343536 degrees Celsius he said and denied any medical negligence and lack of facilities that could have bettered the situation for the 2022 lakh attendeesNo lack of facilitiesAccording to Samant 2300 taps were installed to provide drinking water 250 water tankers were available at as many toilet blocks Among medics 350 doctors including 80 super specialists were on duty In addition 150 pharmacists 150 nurses and 73 ambulances that included 19 cardiac were in service A 4000bed makeshift health centre and a blood bank were also among the facilities made available Over 1000 buses ferried the followers from the railway station to the venue and backLodge case against govtState Congress President Nana Patole demanded a case of culpable homicide against the Shinde government ldquoThirteen people have died because of the carelessness of the government and 500 are being treated Itrsquos a shame that arrangements were not made The government has used the followers of Dharmadhikari for political gains The leaders were seated on an airconditioned platform while people suffered in the heat Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said Dharmadhikari had himself suggested that the event be held at noon The government has gone to the extent of levelling allegations against a spiritual leader like Dharmadhikari to save its skinrdquoLeader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve blamed the cultural ministry which organised the event ldquoThe police should register a case of culpable homicide The government is trying to hide the exact data They should come clear on the statisticsrdquo Danve told the pressDont politicise incidentMaharashtra Bhushan awardee Dattatreya Narayan or Appasaheb Dharmadhikari has appealed to people against politicising the incident I am deeply pained by what has happened to my family The members of my own family have been taken away and my grief is beyond words We in the Shri Sadasya Parivar have stayed together for generations and we are with the members who have lost their kin The incident was unfortunate and I expect that it should not be politicised he said in a statement on Monday eveningInputs from Faizan Khan4KNo of beds at health centre at venue