New Delhi : A day after a high intensity explosion in the Petlawad town of Jhabu district killed over 89 people and left more than 100 persons injured, the Congress has slammed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan for complete abuse and misuse of power.
As reports emerged that the explosion took place in a godown where a local BJP leader was allowed to store explosives in a busy area against the rules, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi asked”: “How did it happen? The district head of BJP”s Vyapar Mandal (traders” body) is running an explosive factory in the heart of the busy town. Would he be allowed to do so by the local authorities if he had not been a BJP leader?”
Meanwhile, the state police have booked Rajendra Kasawa, the alleged accused and a manhunt to arrest him is on for storing a huge pile of explosives for mining work in a building which triggered off this series of explosions. Targeting Chauhan, the Congress spokesperson asked: “What action you have taken against the administration, which allowed this. What action have you taken against the district president of your Vyapar Mandal. Is it not a complete abuse and misuse of political power?”
Recalling the Vyapam scam in which more than 48 persons have died so far, Singhvi alleged that Madhya Pradesh under the BJP rule is turning into a “multi-killings and multi-deaths state’ with culprits going scot free. “We have no words strong enough to express our anger, frustration and deep sadness over around 100 deaths in Jhabua. This has very serious ramifications,” he added. After initial reports that the blast took place because of the explosion of a gas cylinder in a nearby eatery it has emerged that the incident was caused by mining explosives stored in a building in the crowded area of Petlawad town. It completely destroyed at least two buildings – one in which explosive material for digging wells was stored and an adjacent restaurant, and damaging several houses. Many of those who died had come to have breakfast at the restaurant.
