Even as opposition parties hit out at the Goa government over the death of three tourists after collapsing at the Sunburn Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festival, State Culture Minister Govind Gawade on Monday said no one forced people to attend the event.
A tourist, who arrived in Goa to participate in the Sunburn Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festival, died after feeling uneasy near the event venue on Monday, police said.
With this, the total number of tourist deaths in last three days after collapsing at the EDM festival venue has gone up to three.
On Sunday night, a visitor from Bengaluru, Sandip Kotta, complained of “extreme uneasiness” at the festival venue at Vagatore beach in North Goa district, a senior police official said.
“An ambulance was called at the venue and he was rushed to a state-run hospital in Mapusa town where he died minutes after admission,” he said, adding that the man’s age was not yet known.
On Friday, two tourists from Andhra Pradesh collapsed after feeling uneasy while standing outside the festival venue. They were taken to a hospital where doctors declared them dead, police earlier said. The two, Sai Prasad and Venkat, felt uneasy near the gates of the venue and were rushed to a hospital in Mapusa where they died late Friday evening.
The Goa Forward Party (GFP) also sought a CBI probe in the deaths.
Asked about criticism of the government for allowing the event in the state, Mr. Gawade said, “The government is not forcing the youth to go and attend the Sunburn festival. They go on their own. No one is forced to go there.”
Mr. Gawade said the government was not responsible for such a massive crowd at the festival. “We are not distributing any passes to anyone. It is the music enthusiasts who like to go there, they do it out of their own wish,” he added.
He said the State government has always been promoting local culture and music through different events.
“When we speak of local culture, we also include western culture, which is taught in government-run institutions like the Kala Academy,” Mr. Gawade said.
Goa BJP leader Rajendra Arlekar on Monday wondered whether such festivals were required for promotion of tourism.
“Do we really need events like Sunburn to promote tourism? Can we not redefine our priorities in this sector? Let’s ponder...,” the former Minister tweeted.
State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar could not be contacted for his comments.
Goa Pradesh Youth Congress Committee president Varad Mardolkar alleged that drugs were “openly sold” at the event. “Police are not taking action against the culprits,” he alleged. “If the police had paid heed to our request, the third death could have been avoided,” Mr. Mardolkar added.
GFP vice president Durgadas Kamat also demanded a CBI probe into the deaths.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should take over the probe into the cause of deaths at the EDM festival andthe sudden increase of drugs everywhere in the State,” he said.
Festival organisers were not available for comment.
The State police, however, said no case of drug use or sale has been detected at the festival venue.
