Industrialist and BJP MP Naveen Jindal on Saturday backed Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal in the Chhattisgarh power plant blast case, saying responsibility should be fixed only after a proper investigation and based on evidence. Agarwal has been named in an FIR registered by Chhattisgarh police in connection with the April 14 boiler blast at a Vedanta plant in Sakti district that has claimed 23 lives so far.
He has been booked under stringent IPC sections, including causing death due to negligence.
In a post on X, Jindal expressed grief over the loss of lives and called for support to affected families. “The tragedy in Chhattisgarh is deeply painful. 20 families have lost everything. Proper compensation, livelihood support for the families, and a thorough investigation are non-negotiable,” he said.
He, however, questioned naming Agarwal in the FIR at an early stage. “But naming Shri @AnilAgarwal_Ved Ji in the FIR before any investigation raises serious concerns. Investigate first. Establish responsibility based on evidence. Then act.” Jindal said Agarwal had no role in the plant’s operations and described him as a self-made entrepreneur.
Jindal further questioned about setting the responsibilities of a Chairman when such incidents take place in PSU plants.
"When accidents happen in PSU plants or Railways, do we name the Chairman? We do not. The same standard must apply to the private sector too." India's Viksit Bharat vision needs people like Anil Agarwal to keep investing and building. That happens only when investors trust the system, Jindal said.
The blast occurred in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant in Singhitarai village. According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while several others later succumbed to burn injuries in hospitals over the next few days. Twelve injured workers are still undergoing treatment. The incident has triggered scrutiny over industrial safety and accountability.
In another post on X, the Jindal Steel Chairman wrote, "Industry chambers @FollowCII, @ASSOCHAM4India, @ficci_india, @phdchamber and @ICC_Chamber, you have a responsibility beyond conferences and policy papers. When due process is bypassed and investor confidence is threatened, as in the case of the baseless FIR filed against Shri Anil Agarwal Ji, your silence is not neutrality. It is a failure of your core mandate."
"Speak up for justice and what is right. That is what you exist for," he added in the post.
Replying to his post, Paras Group of Companies Chairman, Pravesh Jain wrote, "Mr. Navin Jindal, where is your heart? Twenty families in Chhattisgarh are shattered, fathers, husbands, sons blown to pieces in Anil Aggarwal’s plant, their lone earners gone forever. Yet you tweet in defence of the billionaire instead of picking up the phone to your own government’s CM if you are so much concern for Anil Aggarwal? This is not corporate solidarity, this is betrayal of the blood on the factory floor."
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
