Yogi, Mayawati target Priyanka over infant deaths in Rajasthan's Kota

Lucknow/Jaipur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday targeted the Congress over infant deaths at a Rajasthan hospital, saying party leader Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of "playing politics" in UP.

Both appeared to refer to Gandhi's visit to the state after violent protests over the amended citizenship law.

Other BJP leaders have also attacked the Congress-led government in Rajasthan over 100 deaths in December at JK Lon hospital in Kota.

Earlier attacking Priyanka and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the UP chief minister said it was extremely sad that despite being women both could not feel the pain of the mothers.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Adityanath said, "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on a civilised society, human values and feelings."

"It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers," he added.

He said it would have been better "had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in politics in UP".

BSP supremo Mayawati too questioned the Congress general secretary over her "silence" on the death of at least 100 children in the past month.

She said if Priyanka Gandhi does not meet the children's mothers, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be "construed as pure theatrics".

In another tweet, the BSP leader said, "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable."

"But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress, especially its general secretary, are maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said.