Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 15: Leaders of various political parties as well as social organizations today expressed sadness, shock and grief over the loss of lives in Doda road accident in which 39 passengers were killed and 17 got grievous injuries.
J&K unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed deep shock and agony over the tragic accident in which dozens of people lost their precious lives and many others injured. J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina today visited Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu and met the injured passengers. He said that the loss of lives in such an unforeseen tragedy is deeply saddening. He urged the authorities to provide all necessary assistance to those affected by this tragedy. Ashok Koul, general secretary (Organization), J&K BJP, also conveyed sympathies to the bereaved families. He said that the accident in Kishtwar is heart-wrenching.
Expressing grave shock over loss of 39 passengers and injuries to several others in Assar area of Doda today, JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani has said that such a huge loss of lives is very painful and shocking. He conveyed deep sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of the injured. He demanded that the cause of accident should be investigated and necessary measures should be taken to prevent maximum number of accidents in the area. He demanded adequate ex gratia relief to the families of the deceased and the injured besides best medical treatment to them. Several other senior leaders of the Party also expressed shock over the incident.
The DPAP chairman and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed grief on the death of 39 passengers who lost their lives in tragic road accident in Doda district. Azad also prayed for speedy recovery of the injured passengers who have been shifted to various hospitals for treatment. Azad termed this as an unfortunate incident and urged the Lt Governor administration for relief of families of victims and also all the possible help and specialized treatment to the injured passengers. Azad said the condition of roads and Highways must be improved on war footing basis to avoid tragic accidents in future that consumes precious human lives.
Apni Party president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari expressed deep shock over the road accident and demanded immediate airlifting of the critically injured persons to the Srinagar or Jammu Government Hospital or out of J&K for specialized treatment. “The critically injured should be provided specialized treatment on priority basis,” said Bukhari while demanding adequate compensation for the next of kin who lost their lives. He expressed sympathy with the bereaved family members who lost their loved ones and demanded compensation to all the victims. Other party leaders also expressed their concern over the road accident and demanded a through probe.
Expressing anguish and profound grief over a large number of deaths in the Doda accident, National Conference (NC) additional general secretary and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra said, “My heart goes to the families, who lost their dear ones in the shocking accident”. He prayed for peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery of all the injured. Sadhotra sought immediate release of ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased and specialized treatment of the injured at Government expenses besides compensation to them. He also demanded probe into the circumstances leading to this tragic accident.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir termed the incident most unfortunate, shocking and heart breaking and expressed anguish and pain over the tragic incident. He expressed heartfelt condolences to bereaved families while praying for speedy recovery of the injured. He slammed the J&K Government for failing to contain such incidents.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives in a road accident in Doda district, JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla demanded immediate airlifting of the critically injured persons to GMC Srinagar/Jammu for specialized treatment. He expressed sympathy with the bereaved family members who lost their loved ones in the mishap and demanded compensation for all the victims.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, expressing the profound sorrow that has gripped the community in the wake of this devastating loss. Gupta acknowledged that no amount of compensation can truly mend the wounds of such a loss, but he assured the affected families that the Government is committed to providing immediate relief and support during this difficult time.
Expressing shock over the tragic accident, BJP J&K executive member Raman Suri said that he is extremely pained by the loss of lives in the mishap. Suri demanded an inquiry into the incident so that the guilty can be fixed and such accidents be prevented in the future. He also prayed for strength to the bereaved families and wished for speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.
CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami, while expressing grief over the tragic road accident, said that Doda district has become a death trap and such accidents have become a norm. “Mere expressing grief and condolences are not enough. What is required is to thoroughly get this area studied by experts for effective measures so that more lives are not put at stake,” he added.
Senior BJP leader Ajatshatru Singh prayed for peace to the departed souls and fortitude to the bereaved families. He also prayed for speedy recovery of the injured and impressed upon the divisional administration to ensure the affected families get relief and adequate ex gratia. He urged LG Manoj Sinha to activate mechanisms to put an end to such fatal incidents.
Former MLC Vikramaditya Singh also expressed deep grief over the tragic accident. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls. He also urged the government to provide the best medical care to the injured and offer adequate compensation to the families of the victims.
Expressing shock and anguish over the tragic road accident, Rajesh Gupta, general secretary of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) urged the authorities to implement a preventive strategy to curb accidents rather than relying solely on post-accident measures. He highlighted the poor condition of roads in hilly areas, emphasizing that their deteriorated state makes them prone to accidents.
Former deputy mayor of Jammu Advocate Purnima Sharma expressed condolences to the bereaved families. She urged the Government to provide the best medical care to the injured and adequate compensation to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident. Purnima expressed concern over the alarming frequency of such accidents in Doda district, emphasizing the need for thorough investigation to identify the root cause of these tragedies.
Vice chairman of DPAP GM Saroori, general secretary RS Chib, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Ab Majeed Wani, Anita Thakur, Advocate Ashok Sharma (provincial vice president), provincial general secretaries– Maheswar Singh, Sobat Ali, Vishal Chopra, PR Manhas, Gharu Ram Choudary also expressed deep anguish over the fatal bus accident at Assar (Doda).
NC district president Ramban, while expressing grief over the accident, said, “The highway and its peripheral roads have unfortunately turned into the ‘roads of death’ but there has been no initiative by the administration to curb the occurrence of such fatal accidents.” He urged the administration to give best medical treatment to the injured and adequate compensation to the next of kin of those who died in the fatal accident.
Expressing sorrow over the accident, Mastnath Yogi (president, JDS J&K) criticized the Government for not taking adequate steps to curb such accidents. He urged the Government to give proper compensation to the kin of deceased and injured persons.
Thakur Randeep Bhandari (spokesperson of Democratic Progressive Azad Party) expressed profound sorrow and extended heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus accident. He prayed for peace to the departed souls and early recovery of the injured.
Gaurav Gupta, former general secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu, urged the authorities to provide all necessary assistance to those affected by this tragedy. “Deeply saddened by the news of the tragic bus accident in Doda. My heart goes out to the bereaved families during this difficult time,” he said in a statement offered deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.
Prof Amitabh Mattoo, a distinguished academic and thought leader, conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic incident. He remarked, “My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and my deepest condolences go out to them during this incredibly challenging time.”
Joginder Bhandari, a social activist of district Kishtwar, while expressing shock and sadness over the tragic accident demanded an ex gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh each for the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for each injured person.
Pritam Singh Saini, National vice president of Ganmanya Samaj Sangathan, New Delhi and president of J&K Kshtriya Saini Sabha conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls.
Sham Lal Gupta, chairman of NGO Anti Crime Bureau, expressed deep grief over the tragic accident. He urged the Government to provide the best medical care to the injured and offer adequate compensation to the families of the victims.
Social activist Shamsher Singh Manhas also expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic incident. He said such tragic road accidents are frequently occurring in Doda-Kishtwar and traffic as well as other concerned authorities has failed to curb these incidents.
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