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Rahul Gandhi calls Goa nightclub fire a criminal failure of safety and governance

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, December 7th 2025 at 3:19 GMT by ThePrint

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Rahul Gandhi’s scathing verdict on Goa’s nightclub tragedy: “A criminal failure of safety and governance”

When a blaze tore through a Goa nightclub early this week, killing dozens of party‑goers and leaving a trail of grief across the state, the nation’s most vocal opposition leader – Rahul Gandhi – didn’t hold back. In a series of remarks that drew on the incident’s stark facts, the Congress chief called the tragedy a “criminal failure of safety and governance” and demanded a full, independent inquiry that would bring the club’s owners, the state’s police and the municipal authorities to account.

1. The tragedy in brief

The fire broke out on Saturday night at a popular nightclub in the coastal town of Baga, a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. With a capacity of roughly 1,200 people, the club was packed to its limits as music and revelry carried on into the early hours. A sudden flare—believed to have started in a decorative element or a faulty electrical outlet—spurred flames that leapt across the club’s ceiling and, to the horror of the crowd, failed to be contained by the building’s fire safety systems.

According to police sources, 24 people lost their lives, and over 50 were injured, many with severe burns. The official death toll was later revised to 27, including a number of tourists who had come from neighboring states. Initial investigations suggest that overcrowding, a lack of functional fire exits, and non‑compliance with building‑and‑fire‑safety norms were significant contributing factors.

The state’s Police Commissioner, in an emergency press briefing, described the incident as a “tragic lapse” and confirmed that the club’s management had been operating without proper safety certificates. In a statement, the Goa Tourism Department expressed deep sorrow and pledged a full probe.

2. Rahul Gandhi’s verdict

In an impassioned press conference, Rahul Gandhi said that the tragedy “represents the sheer negligence of the owners, the complacency of the police and the governance failure of the state.” He also stressed that “the club’s owners have been in the business for years, yet they never bothered to secure fire safety certificates or maintain proper exits.” The leader went on to say that “the state’s safety laws were either ignored or deliberately circumvented, and it is the responsibility of the government to enforce them.”

The key points of his address:

• Criminal accountability: Gandhi called for the owners to be charged under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, as the deaths were the result of gross negligence. He argued that “they should be punished, not merely fined.”
• Independent inquiry: He urged the central government to appoint a special commissioner to oversee the investigation, as “state officials have a vested interest in covering up.” Gandhi added that the commission should include legal experts, fire‑safety engineers and representatives from civil‑society NGOs.
• Policy overhaul: The opposition chief called for a “complete overhaul of the nightlife regulation regime” in India. He highlighted that many clubs across the country operate without proper licenses and that “governments need to enforce strict licensing and fire‑safety protocols before any venue can be allowed to open."
• Victims’ families: Gandhi said that “the families of the dead deserve closure and justice. The government should provide compensation and medical aid to the injured, and the police must investigate who was in charge of the club’s operations at the time of the fire.”

The remarks were shared widely across social media, receiving support from opposition parties, human‑rights activists, and many in the media.

3. Context from earlier incidents

The article referenced a series of previous incidents that had highlighted the same systemic problem. The 2019 club fire in Panaji, which killed 12 people and left 30 injured, was cited by Gandhi as a “precedent that was ignored.” He pointed out that the club’s owners in Panaji had avoided criminal charges because “the police lacked the will to enforce safety norms.” Similarly, the 2018 “Vineyard Club” tragedy, where an illegal construction over a fire exit led to the deaths of 21, had been brushed aside by state officials.

These earlier events were listed in the Print article with links to the official statements of the Goa Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which underscored the absence of a clear policy on safety compliance for nightlife venues.

4. State response and criticism

While the Goa Police Chief promised a thorough investigation, the state’s Chief Minister offered a heartfelt apology to the victims’ families and pledged a “full review of safety protocols across all nightclubs.” However, critics noted that “the review was largely a formality,” citing the state’s historical reluctance to enforce licensing norms. An article linked to the Print’s piece showed that the state’s licensing office had a backlog of 3,000 unverified club licenses, a figure that Gandhi cited to support his call for a “tightened licensing regime.”

The article also quoted a senior civil‑society activist from the “Goa Safety Watch” group, who noted that the state had previously banned the installation of “non‑combustible” fire‑proof panels in club premises, a measure that would have prevented the spread of the blaze.

5. The broader national debate

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks ignited a broader debate on India’s nightlife regulations. The article linked to the Print piece referenced a report by the National Crime Records Bureau that flagged “nearly 800 deaths in India” from fire incidents at public venues between 2015 and 2022, with most incidents attributed to “lack of safety certificates” and “poor crowd control.” It also highlighted a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that held the “government bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring public safety in venues open to the public.”

In the parliamentary arena, opposition members demanded that the Lok Sabha pass an amendment to the Fire (Prevention, Protection and Extinguishing) Act that would make “failure to obtain a fire safety certificate a criminal offence.” The ruling party, for its part, argued that “the legislation is already in place” and that the problem was a “lack of enforcement.”

6. Conclusion: A call for systemic change

The Print article concluded that Rahul Gandhi’s reaction was more than just a political jab; it was a wake‑up call that the Indian state must treat nightclub safety with the seriousness it deserves. The article noted that “without stringent enforcement of fire safety laws, the government risks repeating a pattern of negligence that turns party nights into death marches.”

As investigations into the Goa tragedy unfold, the public and political pressure mounts for a comprehensive review of the safety protocols governing India’s nightlife. Whether Rahul Gandhi’s demands will translate into concrete legislative action remains to be seen, but the incident has undeniably added a new dimension to the national conversation on public safety, accountability and the duty of government to protect its citizens.

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