Rahul meets Indore water contamination victims' families, Congress slams BJP

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday (January 17), met the families of those affected by the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak caused by the contamination in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

He visited four patients undergoing treatment at Bombay Hospital, a private facility, enquired about their health and met their family members.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and party leader Umang Singhar accompanied Gandhi.

"Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has arrived in Indore. Here, he will meet with people who fell ill due to contaminated water and the affected families in Bhagirathpura locality, stated Congress in a post on X earlier in the day.

Rahul visits Bhagirathpura

Rahul also visited the Bhagirathpura area, where the outbreak was reported last month, and interacted with families of the deceased persons, expressing condolences and consoling them.

Also Read: Indore mayor's 'daring act': Civic chief drinks tap water to prove safety amid contamination

Police made elaborate security arrangements in Bhagirathpura ahead of Gandhi's visit and installed barricades at several locations.

Residents of Bhagirathpura have claimed that 24 people have died so far in the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak that broke out in the locality last month. The state government, however, in its status report before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, has pegged the toll at seven, including a five-month-old infant.

"Those who committed this. There must be someone responsible or someone in the government for this. The government should take responsibility. The compensation and treatment cost assistance for the incident that happened because of the government's negligence should be given to the affected families," Rahul told reporters as quoted by ANI.

"I was not stopped (from meeting the families). This is not politics. I am an opposition leader. People died here, and people are not getting clean water here. I am here to highlight their issues. This is my job. It is my responsibility. I am here to help them and stand with them. You can call it whatever you want. Call it politics if you wish. I don't care. I am standing with these people (affected families)," he added.

‘Death audit' report indicates 15 perished

Meanwhile, a 'death audit' report prepared by a committee of the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College indicated that the deaths of 15 people in Bhagirathpura could be linked to the outbreak in some manner.

Also Read: Indore diarrhoea outbreak: Audit report links 15 of 21 deaths to contaminated water

The administration has paid compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 21 people who died after the outbreak began.

Officials have claimed that while some deaths had occurred due to other illnesses and causes, authorities provided financial assistance to all bereaved families on humanitarian grounds.

State Congress slams BJP

Lashing out at the BJP over the issue, the Congress chief said that despite ruling Madhya Pradesh for more than 20 years, the BJP has failed to understand the grief of the people who have lost their loved ones in the Indore contamination case.

"As many as 24-25 people have died due to poisonous water in Indore. The government of Madhya Pradesh, the cabinet of Madhya Pradesh, and our Chief Minister--they are engaged in the politics of blame and counter-blame. There has been BJP rule in the state for over 20 years, around 25 years of BJP-led Municipal Corporation in Indore city, and over 30 years of BJP MP ruling over the Indore constituency. But failed to provide pure (clean) drinking water, and loss of lives occurred here. If these people (BJP) cannot understand that pain, Rahul Gandhi will," Patwari told ANI.

"In PM Narendra Modi's New India, where people cannot even be provided drinking water, there should be questions raised across the country," he added.

(With agency inputs)