Tragedies like Gorakhpur deaths not new in India, says Amit Shah

NHRC issues notice to UP govt over hospital deaths

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the deaths of children at the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came out in support of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after the Congress demanded he resign. “It’s the job of the Congress to demand resignation,” BJP chief Amit Shah told reporters in response to a question about the main Opposition party’s demand for resignation. “Many such big tragedies have occurred in this big country. This has not happened for the first time. Such (tragedies) have happened under Congress governments, too.”

Nearly 60 children have died in the hospital in the past week because of snapping of oxygen supply.

Shah said unlike the Congress, the BJP “does not hold anybody guilty” without investigation. “Investigations are on. Yogiji has fixed a time-bound investigation. Once the investigation report is submitted, the government will make it public,” he said. “This is an incident and a mistake, at whichever level it may be. All said and done, you cannot deny the party’s and BJP government’s intention for development of the poor. There is no link between the tragedy and the government’s intention.”

Asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not tweeted on the tragedy, Shah said the prime minister had already expressed grief over the incident in the media. “The prime minister has already expressed his grief, and tweet is not the only medium to convey a message. He has already made a statement in the press,” Shah said.

On a reported directive of Adityanath to ensure preparations are on for a “grand” Krishna Janmashtami celebrations when the state was mourning the deaths of infants, he said everybody was grieving over the deaths. “Everybody is sad that children have died. But Krishna Janmashtami has its own place, as is August 15. Yogiji has not said in this reference that you celebrate the festival even though children have died. Krishna Janmashtami is being observed. It It is not a government festival.”

To a repeated query if it shows the UP government’s insensitivity, he asked what can the government do if people celebrate in their homes.

The deaths have led to the NHRC asking the chief secretary for a detailed report, the steps taken for relief and rehabilitation of the victims’ families as well as action to be taken against the guilty. A reply would have to be given within four weeks.

The commission further observed the issue of deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) was discussed in detail with the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and senior officials during the NHRC’s Open Hearing and Camp Sitting at Lucknow during August 9-11, 2017. However, the situation had not improved despite assurance by the state, the NHRC lamented.

In Lucknow, UP Congress leaders staged a protest. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav visited Gorakhpur and met family members of the deceased. BJP Lok Sabha member Varun Gandhi pledged Rs 5 crore from his MP local area development fund to build a state-of-the-art paediatric wing in Sultanpur district hospital. 

In another development, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to take cognisance of recent deaths of children in Gorakhpur. The court asked the lawyer who raised the issue to approach the Allahabad High Court with his grievances.

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh claimed that corruption had been detected in the administration of BRD Medical College. “As against the demand of Rs 68 lakh for the purchase of oxygen cylinders at the hospital, the Yogi Adityanath government had released Rs 2 crore on August 5. But the hospital administration made payments not before August 11 and even then it spent only Rs 11 lakh. Why? Because of ‘commissionkhori’ (the practice of seeking commission),” Singh said.

The Congress on Monday demanded that Modi apologise to the country in his Independence Day address for the Gorakhpur tragedy.