Amid his fiery speech, PM Modi mourns Hathras stampede tragedy; shouting MPs silenced
New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid a fierce attack on the Congress and the opposition in Parliament this evening, broke off to inform the House of a tragedy in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.
Over 80 people, including women and children, were killed in a stampede at a prayer meeting.
Modi, who was fighting a vociferous battle with the opposition as he delivered his speech on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's joint address to Parliament last week, paused and told his fellow MPs of the tragedy.
As he did so, the Lok Sabha, reverberating seconds earlier with shrieks and screams from the opposition MPs targeting the PM, fell completely silent.
"In the midst of these discussions I have also been given sad news. It has come to my attention that there have been many tragic deaths in the stampede in Hathras..." the Prime Minister said.
"I express my condolences to those who lost their lives (and) hope for the speedy recovery of the injured," he added, as murmurs broke from MPs preparing to add the Hathras stampede to their arsenal of weapons against Modi and his ruling BJP, which is also in power in Uttar Pradesh.
Modi said senior central officers had been instructed to contact their state counterparts to coordinate rescue and aid efforts.
"Through this forum, I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims," he said.
His office has announced Rs. 2 lakh compensation to each of the families of those killed and Rs. 50,000 to each of those injured.
The Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Hathras. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 2, 2024
Recalling the horrific incident, an eyewitness told the Indian news channel, "We had come for the satsang. It was a large crowd. Once the satsang ended, we started leaving. The exit was narrow. As we tried to exit towards the field, suddenly, a commotion started, and we didn’t know what to do. Many people have died."
“After the ‘satsang’ ended, everyone came out. Outside, the road was built at a height with a drain below. One after the other, people started falling into it. Some people got crushed," said another eyewitness.
President Droupadi Murmu has condoled the loss of lives in the incident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said a team has been formed to probe the incident.
