New Delhi: Recently 30 children died in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat and this has led to national outrage. People have criticised the state government for
the deaths. The deaths were reportedly caused due to malnutrition, polluted water and lack of proper health facilities in the area.
The Madhya Pradesh government is not only facing criticism from common people over the deaths, but has also received a notice from the High Court, asking for an explanation for the deaths. Now, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has also criticised the government for the tragedy.
‘Take a look at ground reality, if you are done with lighting lamps’: Rahul Gandhi to Mohan Yadav
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to social media platform, ‘X’, to attack the state government and the Madhya Pradesh CM, Mohan Yadav for the death of 30 tribal children in Balaghat. He reminded that more than 30 tribal children have died amid illness, malnutrition, and a lack of basic health facilities, in the city of Balaghat.
He said that despite the deaths, the response of the administration was “sluggish, and the government stayed asleep”.
Addressing Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directly in his post, Gandhi wrote, “Chief Minister ji, if you’ve found time after lighting lamps and celebrating festivals, take a look at the ground reality in the state.”
He then said that the lack of disease control, nutrition, and clean water, along with a crumbling health system was claiming the lives of little children. He also alleged that adulterated medicines and poisonous illegal liquor are devastating hundreds of families, in Madhya Pradesh.
Gandhi said that he was on way to Indore, and was in touch with students, youth, and common people across the state and was gathering feedback from them. He said that the horrific incidents being reported from the state reveal that Madhya Pradesh’s education system is the most ruined one in the country, as of today.
He said that all sections of society, be it students, children, the poor, Dalits or the women, all of them were being tormented in the state. No one was happy, he added.
He described the Madhya Pradesh government as the country’s “most corrupt and most incompetent” government.
The deaths of the children happened in mostly tribal villages of the state, which are located in remote forest areas and hilly areas of Baihar and Birsa blocks in Balaghat. These villages are located approximately 60 to 90 kilometres away from the district headquarters.
The children who died were found to be primarily suffering from diseases such as measles, malaria, and severe respiratory distress. Most of the children were severely malnourished and anaemic.
Following the deaths, teams from the health department are screening children in all villages. They are also trying to find an alternative for the polluted water problem in the districts. In order to provide clean drinking water, hand pumps are being checked and water tankers are also being provided in the villages.
