States » SouthPosted at: Oct 18 2026 3:28PM


Kharge urges BJP to learn lesson from Kolkata stampede

Bengaluru, Oct 18 (UNI) Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday urged the BJP to learn a lesson from the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, saying political parties should show empathy towards victims rather than politicise such tragedies.
"My only request is that I hope the BJP learns a lesson from such things. This can happen to anyone, to any government. And that they show some empathy rather than politicise things," Kharge said while reacting to the incident.
The stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening claimed 19 lives and left 25 people injured. The incident occurred amid heavy crowds and rain, with authorities investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
Kharge also questioned union Minister Kiren Rijiju's reported comparison of India with Bangladesh, arguing that citizens in a democracy had the right to express dissent, criticise the government and offer suggestions.
His remarks came amid a political exchange following the tragedy, with leaders trading accusations over their responses to the incident.
The West Bengal government has ordered an investigation into the stampede. Authorities are examining possible lapses in crowd management and the sequence of events that led to the deaths.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of each deceased person, besides Rs 5 lakh for each injured person, according to reports.
Kharge's remarks have brought the political response to the tragedy into focus, even as the investigation seeks to establish responsibility for the incident.
UNI BDN
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