‘People think of nothing beyond selfish interests’: Ratna Debnath on Chorbagan tragedy

Kolkata: ‘What would have happened if they had got drenched in the rain?’ BJP MLA Ratna Debnath’s pointed question has shone a light on public responsibility in the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede, even as questions over crowd management, police deployment, and pandal safety arrangements remain.

Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar rape-murder victim, has blamed the public for the tragedy in north Kolkata that claimed at least 19 lives and left 25 people injured.

She argued that the gathering could have been smaller had people been willing to step outside and get wet during the downpour, adding that the incident highlighted the need for a change in public behaviour.

‘There is a great need to change people’s mindset,’ she said, maintaining that people had prioritised their own interests instead of exercising caution amid the chaotic situation.

The BJP legislator acknowledged that negligence had contributed to the disaster but placed the responsibility squarely on the visitors.

‘There was negligence, of course. The people were negligent. People think only of their own selfish interests. What would have happened if they had got drenched in the rain? Nothing would have happened,’ Debnath said.

Her remarks come amid continuing scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the stampede at the popular Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal, situated in a narrow lane in north Kolkata.

The tragedy has raised concerns over crowd control and emergency preparedness at one of the city's prominent festive gatherings.

Ratna Debnath questions demand for investigation

Asked whether to demand a separate investigation into the incident, Debnath said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had already formed a committee to examine the tragedy.

‘What is the point of demanding an investigation? The Chief Minister has already formed a committee. The Chief Minister is conducting the investigation, so what more can I demand?’ she said.

A six-member special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted after the Adhikari government consulted the Calcutta High Court.

The team is tasked with establishing the circumstances that led to the stampede and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The probe is expected to examine the sequence of events that turned a festive gathering into a deadly crush.

A false announcement suggesting that the pandal was about to collapse, the influx of visitors amid heavy rain and poor lighting inside the structure, reportedly linked to this year's theme, have emerged as possible contributing factors.

Questions have also been raised about the absence of police personnel at the exit gate, a crucial point in determining whether the crowd could have been managed more effectively.

Debnath, however, declined to comment on police deployment, saying she was not at the site when the incident occurred.

‘I was not there, so I do not know whether the police were present at the exit gate or not,’ she said.

Earlier, Debnath had blamed pandal authorities and police

Debnath's latest remarks contrast with her assessment immediately after the tragedy.

On October 18, after meeting the family of a victim, she had accused both the puja organisers and the police of serious lapses, pointing to inadequate lighting and the panic triggered by a rumour.

‘There is gross negligence on the part of the puja pandal authorities. There is negligence on the part of the police,’ she had told reporters.

Describing the conditions at the site, Debnath had said the exit area was pitch dark and that the incident unfolded amid a rush of people during the rain.

She also referred to rescue workers pulling victims from beneath those who had been trampled in the crush.

According to her earlier account, the panic followed a rumour that the mandap was about to collapse.

The possibility that a false announcement triggered the surge has since emerged as one of the factors under investigation.

Her contrasting assessments have brought renewed attention to the question of accountability, particularly as investigators examine the roles of the organisers, the police and the crowd in the fatal incident.

Debnath contrasts Adhikari's response with Mamata Banerjee's tenure

Defending the current government's response, Debnath praised Adhikari for reaching out to the families of those who died.

She also brought up the previous year's Durga Puja celebrations to criticise former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Referring to a one-hour downpour in 2025 that flooded Kolkata's streets, Debnath recalled Banerjee attending a Dandiya event during the episode.

‘In 2025, a one-hour downpour turned Kolkata into London. The Chief Minister at the time even danced the Dandiya amidst the situation.

The current Chief Minister is standing by all those who lost their lives in this incident and is personally visiting each of their homes,’ she told reporters.

The comments have added a political dimension to the aftermath of the Chorbagan stampede, with the BJP legislator contrasting the present administration's outreach to bereaved families with the previous government's response to flooding during last year's festivities.

As the SIT investigates the disaster, the central questions remain what triggered the deadly surge, whether adequate safety measures were in place and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.