Jaipur, October 15 (Daily Kiran): Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday raised serious questions over the tragic Jaisalmer bus fire accident, in which 20 passengers lost their lives and several others were critically injured. He said the incident was deeply saddening and called for a thorough probe into how a newly purchased bus caught fire and how the flames spread so rapidly.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, Gehlot expressed grief over the devastating tragedy and said, “It’s a very unfortunate accident. Earlier, a similar incident had occurred near Dudu. In Jaisalmer, 20 people have died and several are on ventilators. It’s shocking that such a new bus caught fire. I heard the bus was purchased only ten days ago. The government should investigate how this happened without any collision or mishap.”
Gehlot added that the bus doors reportedly got locked after the fire started, worsening the situation for passengers trapped inside. He urged the state government to take up the matter with the manufacturer and ensure a proper technical investigation.
Commenting on the Anta Assembly by-election, Gehlot took a jibe at the BJP for not yet announcing its candidate. “The BJP has still not declared its candidate for the Anta bypoll. Should we decide that too?” he remarked. Gehlot asserted that the Congress is fully prepared for the by-election and confident of victory. “Our candidate has already started campaigning. We are going there today to file the nomination and hold a rally,” he said.
On the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Gehlot expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) would soon announce its list of candidates. He also raised questions regarding the timing of court proceedings and investigations against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC case, saying that equal opportunity must be given to both ruling and opposition parties during elections.
“In a democracy, everyone should get a fair chance to contest. But just before elections, when courts, ED, and CBI become active, it raises serious concerns. Such decisions should ideally come after the elections,” Gehlot said.