Extreme heat at Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony leads to tragedy, 11 followers of Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari lose their lives
Navi Mumbai, 16th April 2023: The ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award ceremony was held in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai to honor social worker, Padmashri Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the award to Dr. Dharmadhikari in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other ministers from the state government.
About three lakhs of Dr. Dharmadhikari’s followers had come from across the state to attend the ceremony, but the scorching heat, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius, led to 120 of them experiencing heatstroke. Some became dizzy, while others vomited, and many were admitted to hospitals for treatment. Tragically, it has been reported that 11 people have lost their lives due to the extreme heat.
After visiting and inquiring about the affected followers at the hospital, Chief Minister Shinde expressed his condolences and stated that the government would provide Rs 5 lakhs to the families of the deceased and bear the expenses of those undergoing treatment.
In response to the incident, Congress leader Atul Londhe has demanded that the state government be held responsible and charged with murder, stating that “Maharashtra Bhushan Award program was held in the sun in the afternoon. Ten innocent people have died due to the negligence of this government. Many people are serious. This is a murder committed by the government. For this, a case of culpable homicide should be registered against the government.”
