Police stand guard outside ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub at Arpora, where a massive blaze erupted, killing 25 and injuring six. Photo: Badiger P.K
The devastating blaze that claimed 25 lives at a Goan nightclub has ignited a political firestorm on Sunday (December 7, 2025), within Goa and beyond, with the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party demanding the resignation of the BJP Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant. With migrant workers from Jharkhand among the dead, politicians from that State called for a probe and proper compensation for victims as well.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the blaze as “a criminal failure of safety and governance” and demanded a transparent probe to fix responsibility and ensure such preventable tragedies do not occur again.
The Congress’s Goa desk in-charge Manikrao Thakare and State president Amit Patkar visited the site of the blaze on Sunday. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should take the entire responsibility for the incident and resign as he had failed to maintain law and order, Mr. Thakare told reporters, claiming that the club had been operating for a year despite not having got permission from the Excise Department to sell liquor, nor obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate from the Fire and Emergency Services Department. Such incidents create doubts regarding safety in the minds of tourists who visit Goa, he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident “avoidable” and called for the strict enforcement of fire safety norms, while urging Congress workers in Goa to extend every possible support to affected families.
‘Corrupt to the core’
The Aam Aadmi Party launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government. State president Amit Palekar, after visiting the hospital where the injured are being treated, accused the administration of allowing the club to operate illegally despite repeated warnings. He claimed that the Sawant-led government had lost the “moral right” to stay in power, as it had failed to control the administration, which had become “corrupt to the core”. He alleged extortion, poor emergency response, and demanded immediate compensation for victims’ families.
“The CM is shedding crocodile tears. He should resign for this complete administrative failure,” Mr. Palekar said, adding that most victims died due to suffocation because the club lacked proper exits. He claimed families struggled to get ambulances and vowed never to return to Goa after their ordeal.
AAP’s Goa desk-in charge, Atishi Marlena, demanded accountability. “Who has created this death trap? Is local MLA involved in it? Is the Minister responsible? Is the CM responsible,” she asked. Alleging that restaurant owners from the entire beach belt are complaining about rampant extortion, she asked who was taking ‘haftas’. “Why has no senior government officer been suspended so far despite the Chief Minister admitting the club was operating without any clearances,” she said.
BJP MLA Michael Lobo expressed grief and called for a safety audit of all clubs in Goa. “Tourists have always considered Goa a very safe destination, but this incident is disturbing. The safety of tourists and workers is extremely important,” he said, noting that most victims died as they ran toward the basement.
Probe, compensation needed
The tragedy also provoked strong reactions across the country in Ranchi, with a number of the victims being migrant workers from villages in Jharkhand. “The news of several people dying in a massive fire at a nightclub in Goa is extremely heartbreaking. May Marang Buru (the supreme tribal deity) grant peace to the souls of the departed and give strength to the grieving families to endure this hour of sorrow,” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren posted on X.
Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari has demanded a high-level probe into the incident saying that the incident poses several questions on nightclub’s safety and security arrangements. Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure proper compensation to the families of the victims, he demanded stern action against the culprits.
Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose called it a total collapse of the “double-engine” model of governance in Goa. “The sad truth is that this is yet another man-made tragedy. No state exemplifies the total collapse of the so-called double-engine model than Goa. Innocents suffer while administrative apathy continues at all levels,” she said in a post on X.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published – December 07, 2025 09:52 pm IST
