Advocating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for public rallies to prevent recurrence of the tragic stampede anywhere in the country, Union Finance Minister on Monday said she has come not to pass a verdict on what had happened but to meet the families of the victims and the injured, offer condolences, and share their grief.
“I have not come here to pass a verdict, but to meet the bereaved families and the injured to convey condolences, listen to them, and share their grief at the direction of the Prime Minister. There is nothing else. But, I will report to him and the Home Minister on what I heard,” she told the media at Karur in response to a question. Earlier in the day, she visited a few families of the victims and interacted with the injured at the Government Medical College Hospital after visiting Velusamypuram, where the tragedy took place at Saturday night’s massive rally of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), claiming 41 lives.
On the urgency for evolving an SOP for public gatherings, she said, “We are rather too late, unlike other countries. But no time is a bad time for bringing an SOP, particularly when there are huge assemblies. It is not just for one state, but across the country, we should have a better way of managing gatherings.”
“It is greatly hurting, and my heart is overflowing with sorrow, and when I heard the victim’s families, there was a churning in my stomach. Most of the victims are breadwinners for their families. Some have lost their children. They narrated the hardship and trauma that they are undergoing. Some of them who are construction workers have sustained injuries in their hands, which have effectively prevented them from going to work and earning their livelihood,” she bemoaned.
She said Prime Minister Narendra personally called her and Dr Murugan to visit the families of the deceased and convey his condolences, as he was unable to visit Karur, though he desired to be here. “Our remit is to visit the families mourning their loved ones and those hospitalised. I have heard their stories as well as others. Everybody will air their opinion, as there is anger and anxiety among the people, which cannot be dismissed as noise, since every such view matters. We should not dismiss any such view as noise,” she said in response to a query. “Investigation is on. I might have a view. Even leaders from my own party might have demanded (CBI probe). But then, the purpose of this visit is different. I have not come to monitor what the state government has been doing,” was her reply to another query.
Earlier on Sunday, former BJP state president K Annamalai, PMK president Anbumani, and former Deputy CM, O Panneerselvam had demanded a CBI investigation, alleging that the state police was not proceeding in the right direction.