Nine dead, 1 injured as soil caves in at factory site in Gujarat's Mehsana; PM condoles incident
Mehsana, Oct 12: Nine labourers, including two women, were killed and one person was injured after soil caved in during construction of a stainless steel factory near Kadi town in Gujarat's Mehsana district on Saturday, police said.
The labourers had dug a 16-foot deep pit for a tank at the site in Jasalpur village when the incident took place, Kadi police station inspector Prahaladsinh Vaghela said.
"A rescue operation was carried out for around two hours involving teams from the fire brigade, police as well as labourers. Nine bodies were brought out from the heap, while one person was rescued. Most of the deceased are from Dahod, while three are from Rajasthan. They are in the 20-30 age group," Vaghela said.
They were engaged in construction work at the site of Steelinox Stainless Private Limited, the official added.
A statement issued by the PMO on X quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as saying the incident was "extremely sad".
"The accident caused by the wall collapse in Mehsana, Gujarat is extremely sad. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this. May God give them the strength to bear this pain. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in providing all possible help to the victims," the PM said.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, in a message on X, expressed condolences and said "procedures for rescue and quick treatment of the injured have been carried out by the administration".
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Mehsana, Gujarat. Rs. 50,000 would be given to those injured. https://t.co/KUJqI32dEW
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 12, 2024
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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.
