Infant deaths: Cong terms it 'murder', demands Adiytanath's resignation

The UP Congress today termed the large number of infant deaths in a Gorakhpur hospital "murder" and demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adiytanath's resignation, saying if he was unable to handle an institution, how will he run the state.

"70 children were murdered in the last four days (since August 10). The state government is responsible for their murder. This government is a killer and I want to ask how many more children will be killed," Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar told reporters here.

"When a chief minister is unable to handle a medical college in his home district, how would he run the state? He should immediately resign from his post," he told a press conference here while attacking the UP CM.

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday said BRD college principal Dr Rajeev Mishra has been made a "scapegoat", after he was suspended following the death of 30 children at the hospital within a span of 48 hours.

The UP government had on Saturday suspended the BRD college principal "owing to laxity". "By making the college principal a scapegoat, the state government is trying to absolve itself of all responsibility," Mayawati said.

She also termed as "irresponsible" Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh's remarks that "many children die" in the month of August every year at the Gorakhpur-based state-run hospital. She also said CM Yogi Adityanath should remain "more alert" to avoid recurrence of such incidents. mpost

Demanding a compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the victim's parents, he said a case of murder should be lodged against those who are guilty.

Babbar said the Congress would run a state-wide campaign on the issue but did not disclose the date when it would start.

He hailed the media for the "unbiased reporting" on the issue and said, "Who will decide it was death or murder? The entire focus of the government is on cow-slaughter, singing of Vande Matram, where the flag is being hoisted on August 15".

The Congress leader said that under the UPA government, Rs 150 crore was given to the BRD medical college hospital and a 100-bed ward was also constructed.

"The chief minister had visited the hospital, but he was not aware about the oxygen crisis. The CM has constituted a probe committee but the government has already said that deaths were not due to shortage of oxygen. Then why a probe?" the UPCC president said.