April 14, 2004
Press
Release
The
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
is
deeply
shocked
by
the
ghastly
incident
in
Lucknow
where
22
poor
women
and
children
died
in
the
stampede
on
12
April
2004.
We
are
deeply
saddened
by
this
tragedy.
We
condemn
the
thoroughly
insensitive
attitude
of
the
organisers
of
the
programme
who
assembled
several
thousands
of
poor
women
with
promise
to
distribute
free
saris.
We
have
already
raised
the
issue
with
the
Election
Commission
yesterday
pointing
out
that
the
programme
was
a
gross
violation
of
the
Model
Code
of
Conduct.
We
had
drawn
the
attention
of
the
Commission
about
the
expected
conduct
to
be
followed
by
political
parties.
Once
the
Code
of
Conduct
came
into
force
and
not
with
reference
to
candidates
or
their
election
agents
as
has
been
attributed
by
the
BJP
or
in
their
interpretation
by
a
section
of
the
media.
But
we
are
completely
surprised
at
the
BJP's
response
to
the
entire
sequence
of
development.
Having
been
a
party
to
the
"free
sari
distribution"
the
BJP
is
now
alleging
that
those
of
us
who
have
raised
this
issue
with
the
Election
Commission
are
politicising
the
unfortunate
tragedy.
But,
the
issue
is
whether
the
organisation
of
the
sari
distribution
programme
as
part
of
a
birthday
celebration
of
an
individual
who
is
the
leader
of
the
opposition
in
the
Uttar
Pradesh
Assembly
is
a
non-political
event?
The
following
questions
need
to
be
answered.
·
Whether
it
is
a
fact
that
the
BJP
flags
adorned
the
venue
where
the
free
sari
distribution
was
to
take
place
on
12
April
as
opposed
to
similar
programmes
in
the
past?
·
Whether
it
is
a
fact
that
in
the
follow-up
to
the
complaint
lodged
with
the
authorities
that
the
proposed
programme
on
April
12
was
a
violation
of
the
Model
Code
of
Conduct?
·
Whether
it
is
a
fact
that
the
Additional
District
Magistrate
establishment
send
a
letter
to
the
police
inspector,
Mahanagar
on
April
12
on
the
day
of
the
programme
itself
stating
that
"BJP
is
to
distribute
saris
to
20,000
poor
women
in
Mahanagar".
BJP
knows
very
well
the
answer
to
these
questions
and
the
ADM's
description
of
the
programme
makes
it
very
clear
that
the
BJP
was
involved
in
organising
the
programme.
Therefore,
the
BJP
cannot
escape
the
consequence
of
their
political
action
of
using
the
birthday
of
an
individual
leader
to
influence
the
votes
of
thousands
of
poor
women
and
their
families.
The
fact
that
22
of
them
lie
dead
and
cannot
speak
for
themselves
forces
us
to
raise
this
question
on
their
behalf.