Gorakhpur a govt-made tragedy: Rahul after meeting bereaved families

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had hit out at the Congress vice-president, saying the 'yuvraj' sitting in Delhi cannot make Gorakhpur 'a picnic spot'.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited Gorakhpur on Saturday and met families of children who died at the state-run BRD Medical College allegedly due to scanty oxygen supply.

Terming the deaths of scores of children as a 'government made tragedy', Gandhi said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should not try to cover up the matter.

"All those whom I met told me that oxygen shortage led to the death of their children. Many families were given ambu bags (a manual resuscitator) and they pumped it for hours...It is very clear that it government-made tragedy," Gandhi said.

The government should take action in the matter and not try to cover it up, he said.

It is absolutely clear that oxygen shortage and laxity were the reasons behind the tragedy, he told reporters after meeting family members of the victims.

"The chief minister should not try to cover up (the matter) and action should be taken against the guilty. This is my message," the Congress vice-president asserted.

Gandhi said that he had visited the BRD medical college and hospital earlier as well and had told Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the media that it needs funds as there were too many shortages. But no action was taken, he said.

There have been scores of encephalitis related child deaths in the BRD medical college hospital in recent days triggering a nation-wide outrage.

"Modiji speaks of a new India. This kind of new India we do not want. We want hospitals where poor people can take their children (for treatment) and come back happily," Gandhi said.

He complimented the media for raising the issue.

"...I want to thank them for this (highlighting the issue)...it is not a matter concerning Uttar Pradesh but is a national tragedy. It is indicative of the health care of the country," he said.

Earlier in the day, Adityanath also had hit out at the Congress vice-president over his visit, saying the 'yuvraj' (prince) sitting in Delhi cannot make Gorakhpur 'a picnic spot'.

Adityanath, who launched a cleanliness campaign in the district to tackle the deadly encephalitis outbreak in the wake of death of 71 children, also hit out at his predecessor and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

"I feel that the shehzada sitting in Lucknow ..'yuvraj' sitting in Delhi will not know the importance of this cleanliness campaign. They will come here to make it a picnic spot, we cannot permit it," the chief minister said taking a jibe at Gandhi, before the Congress leader's visit.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who visited Gorakhpur along with Rahul, said, "In spite of being five-time MP from Gorakhpur, he (Adityanath) did nothing for the hospital."

Around 71 children lost their lives in the BRD hospital since August 7 due to various causes including encephalitis.

The Congress hit back at Adityanath, saying the eastern Uttar Pradesh town was not a 'picnic spot', but 'a spot of virtual murder'.

All India Congress Committee spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the chief minister was the Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur where the tragedy took place, and accused him of reducing the debate over medical negligence to such 'cheap politicking'.

"He has insulted the sacred memory of those helpless and poor children who died, by reducing the debate to such cheap politicking as a picnic spot.

"I will leave for the people of India to judge whether in an anxiety to score political point over Rahul Gandhi, has he not reduced this whole, serious, terrible and tragic episode to a farce and grossly insulted the memory of those children," he told reporters.

Gorakhpur was not a picnic spot, instead it 'has been turned into a murderous spot by utter negligence, lack of accountability and total callousness', Singhvi alleged.

"It is a spot of virtual murder. The chief minister's statement is objectionable and insulting," he added.

The Congress leader said it was the spot where hundreds of children seemed to be dying, whereas 'business as usual' was the answer charted out by the entire Yogi Adityanath government.

Hitting back at the chief minister for his barb, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar said it only reflected the 'pettiness' and 'panic' over Gandhi's visit.

"The chief minister took no action and he wants to divert the issue...he is belittling the position that he holds by such petty statements...Rahulji has come here to share the the pain of the poor...but asking why he has come only indicated the pettiness of the chief minister and panic that his visit will ensure justice," Babbar said.

Babbar, along with other senior leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad and RPN Singh, accompanied Gandhi.

IMAGES: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meets family members of children, who died at BRD Medical College Gorakhpur earlier this month, in Gorakhpur on Saturday. All Photographs: Courtesy @OfficeofRG/Twitter