Lucknow: SP leader who lost mother, wife in building collapse alleges laxity in rescue efforts
Lucknow, Jan 25: Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider, who lost his wife and mother in a multi-storey building collapse in Lucknow, alleged laxity in rescue efforts and demanded that stern action be taken against those responsible for the incident.
"I don't know what to do now. Two members of my family are no more and two others -- my father and six-year-old son -- are in hospital," Haider said.
He said they should be allowed to take the bodies home.
He demanded that those responsible for the building collapse be arrested and stern action taken against them.
"It was a drama in the name of rescue operations here. The entire media present was hailing the Yogi Adityanath government and the administration while videos and media bytes were being given for publicity," he said.
The five-storey Alaya Apartments in the Hazratganj area in the Uttar Pradesh capital collapsed Tuesday evening, trapping more than a dozen people under it.
Haider's wife Uzma Haider, 30, and mother Begum Haider, 87, have died, while two more people are still feared trapped under the debris.
More than a dozen people have been pulled out of the debris so far and admitted to hospitals.
The building reportedly collapsed when some drilling work was underway.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Haider said, "I was aware of the entire layout of the building and kept telling them to drill at a particular place but that was not done and two members of my family -- my mother and wife -- died...because of a delay in rescuing them," he said.
"I kept telling them that people are on the first floor but it was not taken into account....six hours were wasted. Several rescue teams kept standing and work was not started. There was no technical expertise, advanced equipment for drilling or evacuation nor was there the suction machine," he claimed.
He alleged that false claims of providing water and oxygen are being made whereas no such thing was available.
"This is wrong, it amounts to murder by the administration. First illegal buildings are constructed and then people die," Haider charged.
Rescue personnel drawn from various agencies have been working round the clock since the multi-storey building collapsed Tuesday evening and the hope of pulling out anyone alive from the debris is diminishing by the minute.
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Karnataka power tussle: BJP leader calls Siddaramaiah 'Sultan for 15 days'
Bengaluru/Bagalkot (PTI): In the midst of the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader and MP Govind Karjol called CM Siddaramaiah "Pandrah din-ka-Sultan" (Sultan for 15 days), and said after that, he will not be the chief minister of the state.
Speculation has once again surfaced within the Congress party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for Assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, are announced.
"With the fight for the CM chair in the Congress, there seems to be no administration at Vidhana Soudha. The result for Siddaramaiah's CM chair fight will also be declared, along with election results for five states (four states and one union territory) and bypoll results for Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats in Karnataka," Karjol, a former Deputy CM, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As per today's information, Siddaramaiah is a Sardar for fifteen days, he is Pandrah din-ka-Sultan, after that Siddaramaiah will not be the chief minister of the state."
Stating that Shivakumar is ready to take up the top job, the MP said that this is the reason Siddaramaiah's supporters have gone to New Delhi to meet the Congress President.
"Already 40-odd legislators have lobbied in support of Siddaramaiah; about 50 are lobbying in support of Shivakumar. Amid this fight for the CM chair, the administration has completely collapsed," he said, urging the government to focus on addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer by releasing at least Rs 50 crore per district.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and requested them to address the speculation regarding the change of leadership in Karnataka.
Subsequently, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa too met the party leadership in Delhi.
Both Jarkiholi and Mahadevappa are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
While MLAs and leaders who want Shivakumar to be elevated as CM have recently claimed they expect some "sweet news" by May 15, which is their leader's birthday.
Meanwhile, a team of 40 MLAs is preparing to visit New Delhi to press the Congress high command for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership for indulging in "power tussle" instead of addressing the people's concerns. He called the government "anti-people" and "dead" to the people of the state.
With the fight for the CM chair, the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to be shifting to Delhi. Congress MLAs are repeatedly touring Delhi, upset over the state leadership amid a power struggle between the CM and Deputy CM. This proves that there is no value for the state leadership," he said.
Pointing out that the Deputy CM Shivakumar was not present at the recent special cabinet meeting, which decided on internal reservation among SCs, the opposition leader said, "If the cabinet meeting was held purposely, despite knowing that Shivakumar was in Delhi, it proves that there are factions within the party"
"This government is dead in a way," he said, as he hit out at the Congress MLAs and Ministers, including Shivakumar, for doing "Delhi Yatras" instead of addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer, picking up in the state.
