Bengaluru, July 2 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Thursday visited the hospital where workers injured in the Madappatna quarry tragedy in Bengaluru are undergoing treatment and blamed the state government’s alleged negligence for the incident that claimed seven lives.

At least seven migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and North Karnataka were killed after a huge boulder crashed onto workers at a stone quarry early on Thursday morning.

The incident occurred at the Kaveri Crusher unit in Madappatna village, under the jurisdiction of the Tavarekere Police Station in Bengaluru South taluk.

After meeting the injured and interacting with doctors, Ashoka said the victims were receiving treatment and urged the medical staff to ensure that they received the best possible care. He also expressed grief over the condition of the deceased, stating that the bodies had been so badly mutilated in the boulder collapse that they were difficult to identify.

Addressing reporters after the visit, Ashoka alleged that the accident was a result of the government’s failure to curb illegal quarrying activities across the state.

He urged the state government to provide compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family of each deceased worker and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to every injured worker, noting that many of them were likely to require prolonged treatment and rehabilitation.

“The Madappatna quarry tragedy is entirely the result of the state government’s negligence,” he said, alleging that illegal quarrying was taking place in several parts of Karnataka and that licences were being obtained in the names of politicians.

He also criticised the functioning of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, claiming that the agency had failed to effectively monitor quarrying operations despite the site being located barely 15 kilometres from Bengaluru.

Ashoka said the victims were migrant workers who had come from other states in search of daily wage employment and accused the government of failing to prevent illegal quarrying despite similar incidents in the past.

He further alleged that no arrests had been made even several hours after the incident and criticised the administration’s response. He claimed that neither ministers nor senior district officials had promptly visited the site, adding that the tragedy could have been been prevented had the authorities acted against illegal quarrying.

The BJP leader demanded that those responsible for the incident be arrested immediately.

Separately, commenting on the Karnataka High Court’s interim stay on the state government’s decision to withdraw 52 criminal cases, Ashoka criticised the Congress government, alleging that it was adopting discriminatory policies in withdrawing cases against certain organisations. He welcomed the High Court’s intervention and accused the government of encouraging anti-national activities through its decision.

Meanwhile, BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, reacting to the tragedy, stated: “I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the tragic incident in which seven innocent workers lost their lives after a boulder collapsed at the Kaveri Crusher unit in Madappatna, under the Tavarekere Police Station limits in Bengaluru South taluk. Reports also indicate that more than five people are still missing.

“I pray that the departed souls rest in peace and that God grants strength to their families to bear this immense loss. I urge the state government to immediately undertake the necessary rescue operations to save those trapped beneath the boulders and ensure proper medical treatment for the injured.

“I also demand that a high-level inquiry be ordered into this horrific tragedy, appropriate compensation be announced for the families of the deceased, and stringent safety regulations be enforced in quarry and crusher operations to ensure that such accidents do not recur in the future,” he stated.

–IANS

mka/pgh