MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena Sanjay Shirsat has stirred a controversy with his remarks on the death of an 11-year-old boy in a tree collapse incident in Mumbai, saying that the falling of trees is natural and beyond human control.His comments drew sharp criticism from the opposition, which accused the government of failing to prepare the city for the monsoon.The controversy follows Tuesday’s incident in which a large peepal tree crashed onto a school bus, killing an 11-year-old student and injuring four other children.Reacting to the incident, Shirsat had said, “How was one to know that the tree was going to fall? Falling of trees is natural. Maybe there were heavy winds.”The remarks drew criticism from Congress leader Nana Patole, who said they reflected “the level of arrogance” within the government.“The monsoon preparedness was only on paper, there was nothing on the ground,” Patole said.Amid the backlash, Shirsat on Wednesday clarified that his remarks had been misconstrued.“This was a very unfortunate incident. I had said that even though falling of trees is natural, civic authorities should take due precautions. Trees which are about to collapse should be removed before the onset of monsoon,” the minister told reporters.(With PTI inputs)
