Gorakhpur tragedy: Samajwadi Party says collector might have been pressurised to hide truth

Amid the ongoing controversy over the tragic death of children at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College's hospital, the Samajwadi Party on Thursday said that there is possibility that the collector may have been pressurised to say otherwise as everyone knows that the children died due unavailability of oxygen.

"Everyone knows children died due to the unavailability of oxygen. The collector may have been pressurised to say otherwise. During Chief Minister Adityanath's earlier visit to the hospital, everyone kept him in dark and no one informed him about the shortage of money to get proper oxygen. The government is trying to escape the accused. Those who are responsible for this - whether the Health Minister, DG Health, college principal, the DM or the company should be booked and put behind bars," Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav told ANI.

According to sources, an inquiry report submitted by Gorakhpur District Magistrate Rajeev Rautela into the tragedy, in which more than 70 children have died, has found the company supplying oxygen guilty of negligence.

The district magistrate's report has reportedly blamed principal of oxygen supplying firm Pushpa Sales R.K. Mishra, and the Anaesthesia department's Dr. Satish for the deaths.

The government as well as the district administration have outrightly denied the reports that have blamed disruption in oxygen supply for the deaths.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has outrightly blamed college prinicipal Rajiv Mishra, for laxity in performing his duty.

He also said that a team of top ministers was asked to determine if the death of the children was actually due to a disruption in oxygen supply at the hospital and assured to "not spare anyone found guilty".

Reportedly, 35 more deaths have been reported in the hospital in last two days.