5 deaths post IAF air show related to heat, condition of 7 stable, says TN Health Minister
Chennai (PTI): Five deaths that occurred after the Indian Air Force’s air show on the Marina beach on Sunday were related to heat issues, and they were all brought dead to the government facilities, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday and appealed to the political parties and media not to politicise the issue.
Of the nearly 100 people admitted to the government hospitals close to Marina beach, 7 were undergoing treatment, and 93 people were treated as out-patients. Five persons were brought dead to the hospitals, Subramanian stated.
The condition of those undergoing treatment at the hospitals was stable, he said and added that there was no stampede while the spectators started leaving for home at the same time.
“We don’t deny the deaths, which were all related to heat conditions as the people remained under the hot sun from 11 am till one pm. Let me make it clear, we made arrangements anticipating 15 lakh people for the IAF’s 92nd Day celebrations and even provided more than what the IAF had sought,” the Minister told reporters here.
The timing for the two-hours air show (from 11 am to 1 pm) was decided by the IAF based on weather conditions and the IAF had advised people to bring umbrellas, wear caps and cooling glasses and also bring water bottles with them, he said.
“The IAF had requested us to ready 100 beds, an ICU facility with 20 beds besides keeping a blood bank on alert to respond to any emergency. But we arranged 4,000 beds at five government medical college hospitals in the vicinity,” Subramanian said refuting the opposition parties’ charge of inadequate arrangements.
Apart from drafting 1,000 doctors, paramedical staff and stationing 40 ambulances, steps were taken to provide basic amenities including drinking water in association with other government departments.
“The historic 92nd IAF Day celebration was successfully conducted on the Marina Beach to showcase India’s air defence prowess to the world. A Rafale fighter plane air dashed to Marina Beach from Thanjavur in hardly 20 minutes to show our capability. Let’s not politicise the occasion,” Subramanian appealed.
He however expressed regrets over the deaths terming them as “unfortunate.”
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
