Live MP temple stampede: Death toll higher than govt's figures , says Scindia

3:30 pm: More dead than the state govt is saying, says Scindia Congress leaders today came down heavily on the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh and claimed that more people had died in the stampede at Ratangarh temple in Datia district than the official figure. Addressing a Congress rally here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader and Union Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia said that he visited Ratangarh yesterday and found that the number of victims was much more than the figure of 115 quoted by the state government. “The death toll figure of 115 for the Ratangarh tragedy which the State government is giving is totally fake. I have been to Ratangarh and found that between 300 and 400 people have died there,” he claimed. 11:30 pm: Police deny throwing people off the bridge The Madhya Pradesh police has been under intense fire over allegations that they not only worsened the stampede but also the fact that some of its personnel may have indulged in looting, and possibly even murder. Denying the charges that have been widely reported in the media, Chambal DIG DK Arya said the allegations were baseless and police officers were sons and fathers too. “Police personnel also happen to be sons, brothers and fathers.. There might have been some lapses but police personnel can never indulge in such inhuman and despicable acts of throwing dead bodies into a river,” Arya told the Hindustan Times. 8:20 am: Did senior IAS officer going on leave make things worse? The state government has been roundly criticised for its handling of the stampede at the Ratangarh temple but it seems things may have been made worse by the fact that the district collector had gone off on leave without handing charge to his deputy. An Indian Express report quoted sources in the Chief Minister’s office as saying that IAS official Sanket Bhondve went on leave a day before the incident took place without waiting for official sanction. And he apparently did it without handing over charge to his deputy. The association of deputy collectors reportedly realised that the deputy collector could face action and lodged a protest before any action was taken, resulting in the IAS official being suspended. While the collector’s absence is being conveniently blamed for the lack of preparations, it’s unbelievable that his deputy had no role to play in them. It also seems like a poor excuse that a just because a formal handover wasn’t done the deputy collector was left helpless. Also while the police has claimed that there were 250 personnel deployed at the site, eyewitnesses have said they didn’t see more than a dozen police personnel, which hints at a lack of preparations.   ——-End of the updates for 14 October ———————————— 10.20 pm: MP government suspends Datia collector and officials Madhya Pradesh government tonight suspended Datia collector and three other officials in the wake of stampede near Ratnagarh temple, in which 115 pilgrims were killed and scores injured, according to a PTI report. The decision was taken after getting the nod from the Election Commission, as the state is bound by Model Code of Conduct after announcement of Assembly polls. Those suspended include Collector Sanket Bhondwe, SP C S Solanki, SDM Mahip Tejaswi and SDOP B N Basave. The decision to suspend Collector, SP and other officials was taken by the state government after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Datia today to review the situation after yesterday’s tragedy, official sources said. 4.30 pm: Madhya Pradesh wants EC to suspend officials Reacting strongly to alleged lapses that led to the stampede at the Ratangarh Temple on Sunday, the state government in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh has asked the Election Commission to suspend the Datia district magistrate, superintendent of police, sub-divisional magistrate, sub-divisional police officer and chief of the police station concerned, Headlines Today reported. 3.30 pm: BJP defends Chouhan govt, says Centre should come out with plan The BJP on Monday sought to defend their government in Madhya Pradesh saying the centre should work on a proper plan to avoid such incidents. Terming the incident as extremely unfortunate, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said such incidents have taken place across the country and many have lost their lives. “The Centre should survey around 500 places where religious rallies are held and they must come up with a proper action plan,” Javadekar said. He also took a dig at the Congress for playing politics over the tragedy. “Congress leaders like Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh, Satyavrat Chaturvedi are doing politics over dead bodies, he said. 2.29 pm: Politics on any tragedy should be avoided, tweeted Chouhan Facing flak from victims of the temple stampede as well as opposition Congress, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday  said politics on any tragedy like the stampede at Ratangarh temple in Datia district is unwanted. “Politics on any tragedy is unwanted. The focus should be on attending to the injured and taking steps to avoid any such incidents in the future,” Chouhan said in a tweet on the issue. The Chief Minister would be visiting Datia-Ratangarh later in the day to review the situation, after getting a nod from the State Election Commission.1.44 pm: Shivraj Singh Chouhan heckled in Datia Hundreds protested against Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan over his government’s inability to handle devotees at a temple in Ratangarh. Singh was at the district hospital in Datia where he was heckled by protesters who chanted slogans against the local administration and the police. There have also been allegations of police officials taking bribe from truck and bus drivers for allowing them to ply on the route. 1.34 pm: Search operations called off, death toll at 115 The death toll in the Madhya Pradesh temple stampede is at 115 with local administration deciding to call off search operations to find those missing. This is the second deadly crush at the site in seven years. Devotees thronging towards the temple across a long, concrete bridge panicked when some railings broke, triggering the stampede, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dilip Arya, told Reuters. “The death toll has increased to 115 and the rescue operation is over,” he said. 1.22 pm: Police to blame for temple stampede, alleges Digvijaya Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh has blamed the police for the stampede near Ratangarh Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district. At least 115 people were killed and over 100 injured in the stampede near the temple on Sunday, which was triggered by rumours that the bridge the devotees were crossing was about to collapse. Singh, in a tweet last night, alleged that the “police was charging Rs 200 from every tractor to allow them entry into the no-traffic zone.” “Is this what they call good governance in Madhya Pradesh?” he asked.

  1.05 pm: MP govt orders judicial probe into incident The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a judicial probe into the incident with the death toll likely to rise beyond 115, reports said. While police say the rumour of a bridge collapsing sparked the stampede,pilgrims blamed it on a police lathicharge. Opposition Congress demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that he failed to take preventive measures despite knowing that thousands would be in attendance. 12.55 pm: Death toll set to rise, Chouhan seeks EC clearance to airlift injured The death toll in the temple stampede is likely to rise beyond 115 and the code of conduct imposed in the state is delaying rescue operations. DK Arya, deputy inspector general (DIG), Chambal range, said the toll is expected to rise beyond 115 as divers continued to search for bodies. Officials also said Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had sought permission from the Election Commission to airlift those critical. The announcement of ex-gratia also had to come after seeking permission from the EC, since the model code of conduct is in place following the announcement of Assembly elections scheduled to be held in November. 12.20 pm: Shivraj Singh Chouhan must resign, says Congress Senior Congress leader and Union Minister Kamal Nath on Monday hit out at the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh questioning why no preventive measures were taken despite knowing that there would be thousands in attendance. “The Madhya Pradesh government must answer.. they should be held fully accountable for temple stampede tragedy. It was known that lots of people go there,” Nath told reporters. “No leaders are being allowed to go there and talk to people, because there is more to hide,” he said. Congress media in-charge Ajay Maken also hit out at the BJP state government demanding the CM’s resignation. “Shivraj Singh Chouhan must resign over the incident,” he said. 12 noon: Chief Minister Chouhan speaks: Don’t politicise the tragedy Just before his scheduled visit to Ratangarh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded to criticism from the Congress about the state government’s ineptitude. “Politics on any tragedy is unwanted,” he tweeted, just minutes after Congress spokesperson called for his resignation and accused the BJP of not giving due attention to preparedness at  temples. “The focus should be on attending to the injured & take steps to avoid any such incidents in the future.” Earlier, he tweeted that he would  be visiting Ratangarh for a first-hand account of the situation. “Guilty would be punished at the earliest,” he said. 11.20 am: Congress ups the ante, turns temple stampede into political battleground “The Madhya Pradesh govt needs to take responsibility for this, the Chief Minister needs to resign,” Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken has just said on the stampede that claimed 115 lives with many more missing. News agency ANI tweeted that Maken also accused the government of being unprepared for the crowds even though the party ensures heavy police presence for the Kumbh mela. ANI tweeted: “When BJP has it’s mahakumbh then Madhya Pradesh govt has lakhs of policemen,y’day no police presence at the Ratangarh temple: Ajay Maken” 10.30: Blame game begins, Congress leaders say administration was inept The Congress party’s leaders in Madhya Pradesh have latched on to the tragedy to castigate the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. After general secretary Digvijay Singh’s tweets about police corruption leading to the chaos on the bridge, he also reportedly said postings of senior officials are also done on the basis of money, adding that such officers don’t care for order or public safety. Former home minister and Congressman Satyadev Katare said there was no other religious gathering where pilgrims were baton-charged. Other leaders said the government had learned nothing from an incident a few years ago when the bridge collapsed and pilgrims were washed away. Meanwhile, autopsies on the first batch of 109 bodies were completed and the process of handing over bodies to relatives is now underway. 10.00 am: Chief Minister expected to visit Even as the state government ordered a judicial inquiry into the Ratangarh stampede, senior Congress leader DIgvijay Singh, also from Madhya Pradesh, took on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. “Reason for Ratangarh Mata disaster? Police was charging Rs. 200 from each tractor and allowing in no traffic zone. Good Governance in MP?” Singh tweeted on Sunday. Chief Minister Chouhan will visit the site of the tragedy shortly. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who addressed a huge rally in Bhopal recently, also tweeted that he had a word with his MP counterpart. “Saddened by unfortunate stampede at Ratangarh temple. Spoke to Shivraj ji & expressed my condolences. Prayers with victims & families,” Modi tweeted.   8.45 am: Role of policemen questioned Shocking accounts from survivors of the Ratangarh stampede have raised doubts on the role played by the local police administration during and immediately after the tragedy. Several eyewitnesses claimed that policemen actually dumped pilgrims’ bodies into the river, in an alleged bid to mask the death toll.   While the official death toll stands at 115, several people have been reported missing and divers are currently looking for more bodies. A report in the Times of India even said some policemen “stole money and valuables from the bodies” before tossing them off the bridge. The report quotes a survivor named Asish, 15, who told media that policemen pushed him off the bridge when he went to claim the body of his 5-year-old brother.   “I fell on my knees and begged the cops to allow me to take my brother’s body home. But they pushed me off the bridge, saying that I too should die,” he was quoted as saying. Ashish is quoted in the Hindustan Times as saying policemen searched the pockets of the dead before tossing bodies downstream. “When I told them my brother had died, they said that ‘now your brother is dead, why should you live on?” he is quoted as saying to Hindustan Times.     7.20 am: Death toll is now 115 The death toll from the Ratangarh temple stampede has risen further, with the latest estimates putting it at 115. However even this number could rise further. “The toll could touch 120. We are yet to recover bodies from the river,” Chambal range DIG D K Arya told Times of India. – end of updates for 13 October – 6.20 pm: Death toll rises to 89 The death toll in the Ratangarh temple stampede in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 89. CNN IBN reported that the death toll includes 17 children, 31 women and 41 men. The report also said that the toll may rise and a judicial probe into the matter has been ordered by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Chauhan has also asked the DGP and the Chief Secretary of the state to  reach Datia. 5.15 pm: Sonia Gandhi shocked, expresses grief New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today expressed “shock and deep anguish” over the death of 64 devotees in a stampede at a temple in Madhya Pradesh. “Gandhi has expressed shock and deep anguish over the tragic incident in Ratangarh in Datia District of Madhya Pradesh,” an AICC statement quoting the Congress president said. She extended her condolences to the families who have lost their kin and expressed the hope that the injured are being attended to suitably. At least 64 people killed and scores of others injured in the stampede near the Durga temple at Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district where a large number of devotees had gathered for the Navratri festivities. The mishap was apparently caused by rumours that a bridge the people were crossing was about to collapse. PTI 4.15 pm: Massive crowd hampering rescue efforts According to CNN-IBN, the police is facing a challenge to evacuate the area as the crowd was huge. So far, over 60 people have been declared dead and over 100 rescued. The police said that since many fell into the river after the railing broke, it is feared that many who may have died, their bodies might have flown downstream. Also, since many people jumped off the bridge when the stampede started, police say more bodies can be recovered during the day or even later. The reinforcements are on standby and will be called as and when required. 3.40 pm: BJP parliamentarian shields district administration “Although the administration had taken steps to prevent these incidents, sometimes there is little cooperation available from the people. People are always in a hurry because which this stampede occurred,” Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ashok Argal to Times Now. “Officially I am being told about 15 deaths and many wounded. I am on my way and I will get more information when I reach there,” Argal said. 3.15 pm: Chouhan expresses grief Reacting to the temple tragedy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told CNN-IBN, “I’ve asked the DGP, chief secretary to reach Datia district. I have announced an immediate relief of Rs 1.5 lakh to the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured. We are closely monitoring the situation and relief work from Bhopal.” Chouhan has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. 2.50 pm: Rumour, not lathicharge behind stampede, say police Over 60 people were killed and 100 injured in a stampede this morning at Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh, police said. “Some people are badly injured and it is possible that the casualty figures would climb,” Chambal range, DIG DK Arya told CNN-IBN. “A batch of pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh did a mischief by spreading a rumour that the bridge on river Sindh was collapsing. People panicked and started running without verifying the truth resulting in the stampede,” Arya said while denying that the tragedy was caused by police lathicharge. “Over 25,000 people were on the bridge when the accident happened. Casualty figure is over 60. We are now sending the injured to hospitals by 108 ambulances brought in from Morena, Gwalior and Dhatiya,” the DIG said. Giving a time frame of the rescue operations, Arya said, “Rescue operations should end in two hours. The terrain however remains a challenge.” 1pm: 40 dead in Madhya Pradesh temple stampede While 40 of them died due to the stampede from the large number of devotees who had gathered at the temple for Durga Puja festivities, others were killed when they jumped off a bridge near the temple, The Times of India reported. [caption id=“attachment_1169223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] This image of the situation after the Kumbh mela stampede in February, 2013 has been used for representational purposes only. AFP.[/caption] According to the TOI report, the tragedy occurred when people spread rumours that the bridge on the Sindh river was collapsing and people started fleeing. However, according to CNN-IBN, the stampede reportedly occurred after police resorted to a mild lathicharge to control the crowd of devotees moving towards the shrine. The police are yet to recover any bodies from the river and they have said that the figure could also cross double digits, the police said. With PTI input