Kasaragod, Monday, January 17, 2011: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari came down heavily on the LDF government for the Pulmedu tragedy which claimed the lives of 102 pilgrims on Friday night in Vandiperiyar. Speaking to the reporters here, Gadkari opined that the “lax approach” in dealing with the rush of pilgrims to the hill temple, had led to the tragedy.

The State government should be held responsible for the lack of preparedness in tackling the heavy rush during peak season. Inadequate security arrangements and ensuring adequate infrastructure at the hill temple were serious lapses,” Gadkari said.

The tragedy should be attributed to the casual approach of successive United Democratic Front (UDF) and LDF governments, which did not implement the Chandrasekhara Menon Commission report after a similar incident in 1999.

(News Agency)