The recent fire at an illegal firecracker factory in Deesa that claimed 21 lives has taken a political turn, with reports revealing that  Deepak Mohnani, one of the owners, is an active office-bearer in the BJP’s youth wing, Yuva Morcha. The revelation has raised serious questions about political shielding and administrative inaction over the past 18 years. Reports have now emerged after the tests that one more person had died taking the death toll to 22.

Deepak, currently serves as a General Secretary in Deesa’s BJP Yuva Morcha and was previously its vice president, as per reports. His regular presence at BJP events and close ties with local party leaders are now under scrutiny, as allegations mount that these connections enabled his illegal operations to continue unsurveyed.

Investigations have revealed that Deepak was also professionally associated with Rajesh Agrawal, a factory owner from Harda, Madhya Pradesh. Agrawal’s factory was the site of a devastating blast in December 2024 that killed 13 people. Following that tragedy, Agrawal reportedly shut down his operations but later approached Deepak due to strong market demand.

Deepak allegedly saw an opportunity and agreed to collaborate. Workers from Agrawal’s Madhya Pradesh unit were reportedly sent to Deesa just two days before the recent explosion. These workers were among those who lost their lives in the blaze.

Official records indicate that Deepak only had a license to run a storage facility for firecrackers, which expired in December 2024 and was never renewed.

Moreover, there are allegations that Deepak operates a second illegal firecracker unit about 10 kilometers outside of Deesa.

Reports of have emerged that the factory was engaged in illegal firecracker manufacturing. In an attempt to avoid detection, the shutters of the factory were kept closed during operations. As a result, when the fire broke out, the workers were unable to escape and succumbed to their injuries.

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