Political Leaders Rally for Fire Victims in Rajkot

Congress and AAP leaders visited the TRP game zone in Rajkot to pay tribute to the victims of a devastating fire that killed 27 people. Criticizing the BJP-led state government's failure to enact stringent safety measures, they demanded justice for the victims and highlighted repeated negligence in fire safety.

Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders visited the TRP game zone here on Sunday to offer tributes to those killed in a blaze at the recreation facility a day earlier.

A massive fire ravaged the game zone on Saturday evening, killing 27 persons, including four children under the age of 12, when it was bustling with people enjoying a summer vacation outing, officials have said.

A Congress delegation led by its Gujarat president Shaktisinh Gohil and AAP leaders, including the party's former state chief Gopal Italia, offered tributes to the victims at the site on Nana-Mava road. "Any amount of assurances won't bring back the lives lost. The Gujarat High Court has repeatedly directed the government to ensure that fire safety provisions are adhered to," Gohil told mediapersons, pointing to the state government's failure to prevent the tragedy.

AAP organised programmes in various cities and district headquarters to pay respects to the victims, and slammed the state's BJP government over the "recurrence" of such tragic incidents.

Italia said tragedies like this have become a regular affair in Gujarat as the state government has failed to take "concrete measures".

"Due to lack of action, such incidents take the lives of innocent people. We stand with the kin of the deceased in their fight for justice," he said.

AAP said in a release that many people, including innocent children, have lost their lives due to administrative negligence. Despite incidents like "Takshashila fire in Surat, suspension bridge collapse in Morbi, boat capsize at Harni lake in Vadodara, and Kankaria joyride accident in Ahmedabad", the BJP government is not ready to change the system.

In the TRP game zone fire, the police have arrested two persons after registering an FIR against six promoters and another accused on charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of deceased.

The Centre has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)