Harda factory blast: Cong MLA Dogne dons firecracker garland to MP assembly demanding action against guilty

A firecracker garland around the neck of a Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh’s Harda assembly constituency was worn as a protest on Thursday against the recent firecracker factory fire incident that occurred in the State and claimed 11 lives while injuring 173. Today, Congressman Ram Kishore Dogne staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the assembly grounds, calling for harsh punishment for those found guilty.

Dogne told, “I had to come up with a symbolic Sutli bomb to tell the State, the country and the assembly that our people have been killed. It was a tragic incident, and it happened because of the incompetence of the administration and the government. Action should be taken against the officers and if any leader is involved in it then action should be taken against them as well.

“My allegation is that more people may be buried there. At least 100 to 150 people may have been buried. About 600 labourers were there, out of which about 200 people were rescued. Where did the rest go? It should be investigated thoroughly. There should be a journalist and local MLA into the investigation committee,” the Congress MLA said.

Tuesday morning, a large fire started inside a firecracker factory in the Harda district’s Bairagarh neighborhood. The area was completely covered in black smoke following the massive explosion, shattering the window panes of nearby houses and shops. The incident that occurred resulted in the destruction of several nearby houses. According to local accounts, Harda felt as though an earthquake had struck. The explosions also caused several cars to catch fire.

Following the incident, Harda Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Kanchan was transferred to Police headquarters, Bhopal and Harda Collector Rishi Garg was also transferred to Bhopal as deputy secretary in the MP government on Wednesday.