AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan on Sunday demanded the resignation of Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian over the Chennai Air Show incident and dubbed it as “complete mismanagement” of the DMK government.
Former Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami earlier claimed that five people lost their lives during the Air Show event due to heatstroke.
“When you have an incompetent person as your chief minister, his counsel of ministers will also be incompetent. You cannot accept a better result than this. While MK Stalin and his family happily watched the show in the air-conditioned makeshift, the people had to walk for 5-10kms to watch this air show,” Sathyan said.
He further claimed that the MK Stalin-led state government failed to properly coordinate the event.
“In front of my eyes, children were falling. There was no public address system that could guide the people. There were no booths giving water and there was no medical assistance. There was no traffic management. It is a complete mismanagement…Precious lives have been lost. Ma Subramanian has any one element of empathy and self-consciousness he should resign as the health minister,” he added.
BJP state president K Annamalai expressed deep shock over the incident and blamed the DMK government for the incident.
“I was shocked to hear that 5 people died due to crowding and more than 200 people were injured and admitted to the hospital for treatment during the IAF ‘AIR Show’ program held at Chennai Marina Beach. The only reason for this is that the DMK government has not taken care of the safety of the public without providing basic facilities and adequate transport arrangements for the public who came to witness the IAF Air Show,” Annamalai said in a post on X.
The Indian Air Force on Sunday organised an Air Show at Chennai’s Marina Beach ahead of the upcoming 92nd Air Force Day on October 8.
In the air adventure show, fighter aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Sarang helicopter took part as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and a large number of spectators gathered to witness the spectacular show.
A keen crowd of young children and adults were present at the air show. A child visitor who marked his first visit to the show said that although the show was great, the hot weather troubled them.