Hema Malini courts controversy, blames population for death of 14 in Mumbai fire

The BJP MP from Mathura accused the migrants and population behind the Kamala Mills fire tragedy.

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NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini on Friday stoked a controversy after she reportedly blamed rising population and presence of large number of migrants in the city as 'reasons' for the massive fire in Mumbai's Kamala Mills that claimed at least 14 lives. 

The 65-year-old Lok Sabha BJP MP BJP from Mathura said that population is a big problem in the city and it should be controlled. “It’s not that the police are not doing their job. They do a great job, but the population is so high. When Bombay ends, another city should begin. But the city keeps extending…. Uncontrollable…” said the actor-turned-politician. "The administration has allowed every migrant to live in the city. However, looking at the wide population in the city, the authorities should have brought in some restrictions here to control the population."

She added saying, "Each city should have a population limit and after a certain capacity, the migrants should be allowed to go to another city."

This is not the first time when Malini has come out with a sensational remark. In September this year, she had stirred a controversy with her remark that stated that 'widows from West Bengal and Bihar should not crowd Vrindavan', the holy city in Uttar Pradesh and home to thousands of destitute women.

"If they (widows) are not from here then there is no need for them to come here from other states. There are many famous temples in Bengal and Bihar too, where they can stay," she said.

Her most recent remark which irked many comes shortly after a massive fire at a pub hosting a birthday party killed 14 people, most of them women, and injured 21 shortly after midnight in a posh Mumbai locality.

The fire broke out after 12.30 am at One Above Pub, located on the third floor of the four-story Trade House Building in Kamala Mills compound on Senapati Bapat Marg, a commercial hub of the city, a police official said.

The massive blaze engulfed the entire building in about 30 minutes and took several hours to be put out. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his anguish on Twitter and said that he has directed BMC Commissioner to conduct an in-depth enquiry.