Chennai air show deaths: Dhinakaran, Jayakumar, Panneerselvam slam DMK govt.

Mr. Panneerselvam said though the air show was successfully organised, the credit for “making it worse” went to the DMK regime

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, AIADMK organisation secretary D. Jayakumar, and the ADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Committee coordinator O. Panneerselvam condemned the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for its “inability” to “efficiently” manage the crowds that thronged the Marina beach in Chennai for the Indian Air Force air show on Sunday (October 6, 2024), after which five people lost their lives due to heat-related issues.

In a post on social media, Mr. Dhinakaran blamed the State government for not ensuring the provision of basic amenities to lakhs of people who had come to watch the show, while paying “great attention” to a private car racing event held last month and the 75th anniversary of the ruling party’s formation.

Apart from making available the best medical care to those who had reported health problems, the State government should sanction solatium to the next of kin of those who lost their lives, he demanded.

When the government could hold a series of meetings to review the preparedness of the car racing event, why did it not take up a similar exercise for an event that had attracted an estimate of 15 lakh people, Mr. Jayakumar asked.

In a statement issued on Sunday (October 6, 2024) night, Mr. Panneerselvam said though the air show was successfully organised, the credit for “making it worse” went to the DMK regime.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the first and foremost reason was that the DMK government did not take precautionary measures,” he said. 

The families of the deceased should be paid ₹5 lakh each, Mr. Panneerselvam said, adding that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin should see to it that all necessary steps were taken well before the conduct of any such event in the future.

‘No basic amenities’

Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC-Moopanar) president G.K. Vasan said the State government should have paid more attention to crowd management and ensured the safety of the public by taking adequate precautionary measures.

By doing so, they could have averted the loss of lives, he said. Moreover, the government should have ensured adequate availability of basic amenities, he added.

Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad said Mr. Stalin must take moral responsibility and apologise to the people for the administrative lapses that led to widespread suffering during the air show.

To prevent such tragedies in the future, the government must prioritise administrative reforms, ensuring accountability and transparency. “The people deserve better, and it is time for the government to take responsibility,” he said.

Published - October 07, 2024 12:55 pm IST