Bhopal/Jaipur, Oct 7 The Congress, on Tuesday, launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, alleging massive corruption in the procurement of medicines and demanding a judicial inquiry into the deaths of children reportedly caused by contaminated cough syrup.
At a press conference held at Indira Bhawan, Tika Ram Jully, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Rajasthan Assembly, and Umang Singhar, his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh, accused the respective state governments of negligence and cover-ups.
LoP Jully claimed that four children had died in Rajasthan due to the cough syrup, yet the state government continues to deny any link.
He criticised the Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar for sourcing medicines from blacklisted pharmaceutical companies and forming a committee instead of taking decisive action.
LoP Jully also alleged that the Rajasthan government has failed to ban the syrup at the ground level or conduct a survey to identify affected children, despite having access to digital health records.
He also raised concerns over the recent fire in the ICU of Jaipur's SMS Hospital, which claimed eight lives.
According to him, hospital staff abandoned their duties during the crisis, and the Health Minister Khimsar visited the site only after 24 hours.
In Madhya Pradesh, LoP Singhar reported that 16 children died in Chhindwara district, allegedly due to the same cough syrup.
Despite a local MLA's appeal for investigation, no action was taken.
LoP Singhar criticised Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for vacationing in Kaziranga Park during the crisis and criticised the Deputy Chief Ministers for prematurely absolving the syrup manufacturer of any wrongdoing.
He also questioned the absence of kidney failure tests in affected children and hinted at collusion between pharmaceutical companies and government officials, particularly in tribal regions like Parasia.
LoP Singhar demanded compensation and employment for the families of the deceased children and highlighted the Centre's advisory on cough syrup issued on October 3, which he said was ignored by both state governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
He also cited alarming incidents such as rats attacking newborns in a Madhya Pradesh hospital and rising malnutrition rates, which he claimed exceed the national average.
He accused the state government of corruption in the Nutrition Diet Scheme and failing to curb crimes against children.
The Congress leaders reiterated their call for a judicial inquiry to ensure accountability and justice for the victims.
Earlier, Chief Minister Yadav on Monday had flayed Congress over the issue before leaving for Chhindwara and said, "I urge the Congress to reflect on its approach. Making allegations is easy, but their casual attitude only serves to distract the government from its responsibilities. When they (Congress) were in power, they failed to act decisively in similar situations. In contrast, our (BJP) government responds swiftly and operates with full sensitivity. Wherever there is negligence by government staff, we will take strict and appropriate action."
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