Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should at least apologise to the people for the nightclub fire at Arpora which claimed 25 lives last week.Speaking at a public meeting in South Goa, the AAP leader alleged that the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub did not have requisite permissions, still it could operate because it paid bribes to government officials. “I want to ask Pramod Sawant, tell me one activity that happens (in Goa) without bribing the officers,” Kejriwal said. “This is perhaps the most corrupt government, and the least the chief minister could do is to apologise to the people of Goa for Arpora incident and ensure safety in all the establishments,” he added.The coastal state, known for its scenic beauty earlier, is now “famous for its corruption and the Arpora incident,” he commented.The nightclub, where the tragedy unfolded on December 6, was operating without occupancy certificate, trade licence, building permissions and other licences, said Kejriwal.”Without the building permissions they got electricity and water connection. The local panchayat had ordered demolition of the structure one year ago, but still the club operated because they used to pay ‘hafta’ (regular bribes) to officials,” the former Delhi chief minister alleged. No one can believe that the Pramod Sawant government was not aware of these things, he said, adding that the owners, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, were “made to flee” the country after the incident.Speaking about development in Punjab, he said the AAP government there is constructing 43,000 km of roads. “I am an engineer. I can do the work. I can’t do dirty politics like these people,” Kejriwal said.
