Government responsible for Indore water fatalities: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader and Lok Sabha leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the city of Indore to meet patients and families affected by the recent vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water, sharply criticising the government’s failure to ensure safe water and questioning the so-called “urban model” of development.

Accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and state party leader Umang Singhar, Rahul Gandhi visited Bombay Hospital, a private facility where several patients are undergoing treatment. He personally enquired about the condition of four patients and spoke with their family members, expressing solidarity and concern.

He then visited Bhagirathpura, the area where the outbreak was first reported last month, interacting with the families of victims and those who lost their loved ones. Residents of the locality claim that 24 people have died due to the contaminated water. However, the state government, in its status report submitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, has pegged the death toll at seven, including a five-month-old infant.

Adding to the uncertainty, a ‘death audit’ report by a committee at the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College suggested that the deaths of 15 people in Bhagirathpura could be linked, directly or indirectly, to the outbreak. In the aftermath, the administration has provided Rs 2 lakh in compensation to the families of 21 deceased victims. Officials clarified that while some deaths were due to other illnesses, financial assistance was extended to all affected families on humanitarian grounds.

Addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of gross negligence, saying, “People in Indore have died after drinking contaminated water due to the government’s failure to ensure basic sanitation. Clean water is a public right, yet the government is unable to provide even this fundamental necessity.”

He raised pointed questions about the urban model, stating that Indore, hailed as India’s cleanest and a model smart city, cannot even guarantee safe drinking water. Rahul Gandhi warned that this was not an isolated issue and reflected a broader national failure, “This is happening in cities across the country. People are dying while the government shirks responsibility.”

Rahul Gandhi demanded that those responsible be held accountable and that the government provide full support and adequate compensation to the victims’ families. “While people are dying and families are falling apart, BJP leaders are focused solely on avoiding responsibility. This insensitivity will not be tolerated. We stand with the people of Bhagirathpura and will continue to fight to punish the culprits and ensure justice for the victims,” he said.

The visit came amid heightened political tensions, as the government faces criticism from Opposition parties for failing to address the outbreak promptly, manage public health measures, and prevent the crisis from escalating. Rahul Gandhi’s visit, marked by elaborate security arrangements, underscores the political and humanitarian urgency surrounding the situation.

As the Bhagirathpura tragedy unfolds, questions about governance, urban planning, and public health infrastructure continue to dominate public discourse, highlighting the need for systemic reforms to prevent such disasters in India’s cities in the future.

With PTI inputs