BJP MLA and RG Kar rape victim's mother blames public for Kolkata stampede

BJP MLA and mother of the RG Kar rape-murder victim, Ratna Debnath, has blamed the people themselves for the stampede in Kolkata’s Chorbagan area during Durga Puja that left at least 19 people dead and 25 injured.Debnath said the gathering could have been smaller had people been willing to step outside and get drenched in the rain, arguing that the incident underscored the need to change people’s mindset.“If people had stepped outside and got drenched in the rain, there would not have been such a large gathering. There is a great need to change people’s mindset,” she said.The Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal, a popular spot for revellers every year, is located in a narrow lane in north Kolkata. A false announcement that the pandal was about to collapse, a surge of people inside the temple amid rain, and dim lighting inside the pandal due to this year’s theme were among the factors cited as possible causes of the disaster. Asked whether an investigation should be demanded into the incident, Debnath said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had already formed a committee and was conducting the investigation.“What is the point of demanding an investigation? The Chief Minister has already formed a committee. The Chief Minister is conducting the investigation, so what more can I demand?” she said. When asked who was responsible for the negligence, the BJP MLA squarely blamed the people, accusing them of prioritising their own interests.“There was negligence, of course. It was the people who were negligent. People think of nothing beyond their own selfish interests. What would have happened if they had got drenched in the rain? Nothing would have happened,” she said.A six-member special investigation team (SIT) has been formed after the Suvendu Adhikari government consulted the Calcutta High Court to probe the causes of the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.However, when asked about the absence of police personnel at the exit gate, Debnath said she could not comment on the matter as she was not present at the spot.“I was not there, so I do not know whether the police were present at the exit gate or not,” she said.Interestingly, after meeting the family of a victim on October 18, Debnath called out the authorities for their “gross negligence” and also blamed the police."There is gross negligence on the part of the puja pandal authorities. There is negligence on the part of the police. The place from which one would emerge was pitch dark. The incident happened in a rush while it was raining. They had been trampled underfoot; rescue workers were pulling them out from there. This incident occurred due to a rumor that was spread before the mandap collapsed," she had told the media back then.Debnath further said that Chief Minister Adhikari was quick to respond and claimed that his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee, was dancing at a Dandiya event during a one-hour downpour that flooded Kolkata’s streets during Durga Puja last year."In 2025, a one-hour downpour turned Kolkata into London. The Chief Minister at the time even danced the Dandiya amidst the situation. The current Chief Minister is standing by all those who lost their lives in this incident and is personally visiting each of their homes," she told reporters.- Ends