INDIA’S Communists accused the government of “crocodile tears” following the death of 43 factory workers in a devastating fire in Delhi.
At least 60 workers were sleeping on the premises of the bag factory in the old part of the city when the fire broke out in the early hours of this morning.
Fire chiefs say the building did not have a proper fire-safety licence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his condolences to the families of the victims.
But Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Delhi state secretary KM Tiwari, who visited the scene with CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat, demanded tough legal action against the factory owner and against Delhi’s labour minister.
“Fire accidents in industrial and residential areas of the national capital are continuously increasing,” he said.
“Thousands of industrial units are running without any muster roll of workers or any safety arrangements.”
Mr Tiwari warned that four employment law reforms planned by the Modi government would make inspecting factories harder and the situation “even more horrific.”
