Ajit Jogi asks Raman Singh to step down over Bilaspur deaths

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi on Tuesday asked incumbent Raman Singh and state's Health Minister Amar Agarwal to step down following the botched sterilization operation at a government camp which left eight women dead and 30 others critical.

"It can't be forgiven, the state's Health Minister is answerable specially because it happened in his own constituency and the CM should also answer. Both should resign," Jogi said, adding that a case of murder under section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) should be also filed.

"It is shameful that women's vasectomy was done publicly in camps. The Centre and the state government have given clear instructions that such kind of major surgery should not be done in small villages where adequate facilities are not available. And due to their carelessness eight died and 51 are critical," he added.

He further criticized the state authorities for their irresponsible behavior and said that this was not the first such incident to have occurred there.

Earlier today, Communist Party of India (CPI) (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat also demanded Chhattisgarh Health Minister Amar Agarwal's resignation as well as full compensation to the women who were victimized by this wrong policy approach.

The government has ordered an investigation into the incident and announced a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the eight deceased women.

Out of the 85 women who were operated upon at the government-run Nemi Chand hospital in the Pendari area of Bilaspur as part of a family planning camp, almost 55 suffered problems due to the sterilization surgery.