Mumbai: Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Shirsat, Bharatshet Gogawale and Kiran Pawaskar have registered a complaint against Uddhav Thackeray faction leader and MP Sanjay Raut over his statement on deaths due to heat stroke during 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award ceremony at Kharghar (District Raigad).
Sanjay Raut had earlier in the day alleged that 50-75 people died at the Kharghar event and demanded govt’s resignation.
Official figures
Officials have said that 15 people died after suffering from sunstroke during the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony held in Kharghar area of Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai on Sunday. The function was held in an open ground and was attended by several lakh people, most of them followers of social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, who was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan award by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the event.
What Raut said
Talking to reporters, Raut said he interacted with the workers of his party from Uran, Shrivardhan, Roha and Mangaon talukas in Raigad district, who told him that the actual number of the people who died at Kharghar is bigger than what the government has announced.
Accusing the state government of hiding the real number of fatalities, Raut said, "If you look at the total figure from all the villages (from the talukas in Raigad) then minimum 50 and maximum 75 people have died. 'Khoke sarkar' (a term the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena uses to mock the Eknath Shinde-led government) people have reached their homes and suppressed the voice of family members." "This is a cruel government and it has no right to be in power. The government should immediately resign," the Rajya Sabha member alleged.
Raut also backed Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole's demand for a special two-day session of the state legislature to discuss the tragedy.
Opposition parties have blasted the Shinde government over the deaths, accusing it of mismanagement.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar had sought an inquiry into how the award event was organised during noon time when the temperature was very high.
On Wednesday, Raut demanded that CM Shinde be booked for culpable homicide.
