PMO’s tweets on Gangasagar deaths unfortunate: Trinamool

Kolkata, Jan 16 (IANS) West Bengal Fire Minister Sovan Chatterjee on Monday described the tweets by the Prime Minister's Office on the accidental death of six women in West Bengal's Gangasagar as "unfortunate".

Chatterjee, also the Kolkata Mayor, said such comments by the PMO "go against the federal structure".

"There were no incidents of stampede in Gangasagar yesterday (Sunday). PMO's tweet mentioning the stampede is very unfortunate and it goes against the federal structure," Chatterjee said.

The Trinamool Congress leader also said a responsible entity like the central government or the PMO should comment on a state issue only after seeking a proper report from the state government.

"We don't have any information about any central government representatives being present at the accident spot," he said.

"If the central government or the PMO had any queries about the incident they should have sought the proper report from the state government. Commenting without the proper knowledge of what has happened is unfortunate and illegitimate," he added.

Six pilgrims, all women, died due to suffocation during a mad rush by people to board a vessel at Kachuberia on their way home from Gangasagar fair after taking a holy dip on Sunday.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief for the loss of lives caused by the "stampede" in Gangasagar and announced Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

"Saddened by the loss of lives caused by a stampede in West Bengal.approved ex-gratia from PMNRF, of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the stampede in West Bengal," he said.