Rahul Gandhi Calls Goa Nightclub Fire a “Criminal Failure of Governance”
Congress demands probe after 25 die in devastating Arpora blaze.
A catastrophic fire that engulfed Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa’s Arpora village in the early hours of Sunday claimed at least 25 lives, including four tourists and 14 staff members, while injuring six others. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi described the tragedy as a “criminal failure of safety and governance,” insisting that the incident was entirely preventable and demanding an exhaustive, transparent investigation to establish accountability at the highest levels.
In a strongly worded statement on X, Gandhi conveyed profound grief to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to the injured, emphasising that mere condolences were insufficient. He asserted that systemic lapses in enforcing fire safety regulations and oversight mechanisms had directly contributed to the disaster, and called for stringent measures to ensure such preventable catastrophes are never repeated in the future.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the sentiment, terming the blaze an “avoidable tragedy” that inflicted irreparable loss on numerous families. He urged immediate enforcement of all fire safety norms across public establishments and directed party workers in the coastal state to provide every possible assistance to victims and their kin during this hour of profound sorrow.
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Senior Congress leader and general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal condemned the apparent negligence of authorities in upholding mandatory safety protocols, describing the incident as shocking and unacceptable. He pressed for an impartial probe to identify those responsible for the lapses, warning that failure to fix accountability would only encourage recurrence of similar disasters.
As rescue operations concluded and forensic teams began examining the site, the Congress intensified its demand for a comprehensive inquiry into building code violations, occupancy limits, emergency exits, and fire clearance procedures at the popular nightlife venue, placing the state government under intense scrutiny over public safety standards.
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