Attempt to politicise Kollam fire tragedy is unfortunate: Kerala CM Chandy

Kollam: Political parties in poll-bound Kerala are seeking to cash in on the Kollam temple tragedy that claimed 113 lives, with opposition CPI-M demanding resignation of the state Home Minister and the Congress-led UDF government asking the Centre to declare it as a national calamity. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the “attempt to politicise” the tragedy was “very unfortunate” and the effort should be to focus all attention on rescue and rehabilitation of the victims. “The government is fully focused on providing best facilities to those undergoing treatment at Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram hospitals,” he said referring to CPI(M)’s criticism of the government in the aftermath of the tragedy. CPI(M) state Secretary Kodieryi Balakrishnan and politbureau member Pinarayi Vijayan have demanded that Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala tender his resignation. [caption id=“attachment_2728098” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A damaged building after the Kollam temple. PTI[/caption] “Government is responsible for the tragedy and the Home minister was unfit to remain in the post. The Kerala High Court had also strongly criticised the government,” Vijayan said. He alleged the officials who tried to stop the conduct of the fireworks display were being “silenced using government machinery”. Kollam Collector A Shainamol and Additional District Magistrate A Shahnawaz had denied permission for conducting the fireworks display. The ADM has denied reports that he had given “oral” permission to the committee members to conduct the fireworks display. “I have not given any such permission in this regard. The allegations are incorrect,” he told PTI, adding he had banned the display and asked police to ensure its compliance. Regarding reports that ADGP S Ananthakrishnan, heading the Crime Branch team probing the case, had issued summons to him, he said, “I have not received any such information so far.” “If ADGP asks me to appear, I will obey as I am a government official,” he said. The accident at the century-old Puttingal Devi Temple complex had occurred during competitive display of fireworks early Sunday morning after a spark from a firecracker fell on the storehouse containing crackers, triggering explosion.