Kolkata Stampede BJP MLA Ratna Debnath Blames Public Negligence For Tragedy
A massive political and public debate has broken out after Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Ratna Debnath blamed ordinary citizens for the deadly rush at a festival gathering. Ratna Debnath, who represents the Panihati constituency and is the mother of the RG Kar hospital victim, said that people acted in a selfish way and failed to care for others during the panic. Her words came after she visited the mourning home of thirteen-year-old Pranjal Sarkar, one of the many people who lost their lives in the disaster.
The deadly incident took place during the crowded festive rush at the Chorbagan area, leading to nineteen deaths and leaving dozens injured. Families had gathered to visit the beautifully decorated temporary temple, but sudden confusion quickly turned into a fatal rush. As heavy rainfall began falling over the area, visitors hurried towards the exit points to save themselves from getting wet. The situation escalated rapidly as hundreds pushed through small openings, causing several people, including young children, to fall down and get trapped on the ground.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the grieving family, Ratna Debnath expressed deep sadness but placed the primary responsibility on crowd behaviour. She stated that people need to change their inner mentality before asking for outside help. According to her, a small child fell to the ground and instead of helping him up, several visitors fell on him while others continued to run over his body. She openly asked what harm would have happened if visitors had simply stood in the open and gotten wet in the rain instead of running violently to protect themselves.
Her comments marked a sharp change from her immediate reaction right after the tragedy took place. In the initial hours following the incident on October 18, Debnath had openly pointed fingers at the festive committee organizers and the police administration. At that time, she had argued that the exit gates had zero lighting, the pathways were completely dark, and a false rumor about a building collapse had created panic without any proper warning system. However, during her recent media interaction, she refused to question police management, stating that she was not present at the gate when the rush started.
Debnath firmly supported the state administration and praised the prompt actions taken by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. She pointed out that the top leadership has taken full responsibility by reaching out directly to the victim families and offering full help. Because the state government has already established an official inquiry body to examine the matter, she questioned the need for any separate public demands or extra investigations, noting that the official inquiry is already under way.
The state government had earlier constituted a dedicated six-member special investigation team headed by a retired high court judge to inspect every angle of the mishap. The investigation team has been given three months to find out how the panic started, whether safety norms were followed, and what steps must be taken to prevent such dangerous incidents at future public gatherings. Initial post-mortem reports of the victims revealed that most deaths occurred due to severe chest compression, lack of oxygen, and internal injuries caused by the massive weight of the moving crowd.
While comforting the mother of the deceased schoolboy, Debnath shared her personal grief and reminded people of her own past tragedy. Having lost her own daughter in the horrific RG Kar hospital incident that had shaken the entire country, she tried to provide emotional strength to the grieving mother. She explained that just as she chose to continue her public work and carry on with daily life despite facing massive personal pain, she wanted the grieving family to find the strength to survive their profound loss.
The statements made by the legislator have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, rights groups, and affected families. Many critics noted that blaming visitors who were running for safety is insensitive and ignores basic administrative failures such as crowd control, entry management, and adequate lighting. They highlighted that managing massive festival crowds is the duty of civic authorities, security personnel, and local organizers. The public debate continues across the state as families demand full accountability and stricter safety rules for large community gatherings.