Delhi starvation deaths: BJP demands dismissal of AAP govt

The BJP's Delhi unit today demanded dismissal of the AAP government over the deaths of three minor girls due to starvation in east Delhi's Mandwali area.

The party's city unit president, Manoj Tiwari, and other leaders, including local MP Maheish Girri, met the girls' parents and said a financial assistance of Rs 50,000 will be extended to them.

It's a matter of "shame" for the AAP government and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that "the three little girls died due to hunger in Delhi", Tiwari said.

"The common man is dying under the AAP rule in Delhi. It is even more shameful as the area where the deaths occurred falls in the constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia," he said.

 

The BJP MPs, including Girri, raised the matter in the Lok Sabha.

Girri has also written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding that the Kejriwal government be "sacked".

"Development and welfare works were already hampered in Delhi. It will not be unfit to dismiss the Kejriwal government in view of the deaths of three girls due to starvation," Tiwari said.

The sisters, aged eight, four and two, were taken to the LBS hospital on Tuesday. They were later declared brought dead.

Doctors said today they were "visibly malnourished" and the autopsy report showed their "stomachs were empty" as if they had not eaten for over a week.

Tiwari demanded that a survey be conducted to find out if there were other such families that were reeling under starvation.

Girri demanded a probe into the treatment given to the girls at a local mohalla clinic where they were reportedly taken by their mother when their condition deteriorated a few days ago.

"A neighbour told that the girls were taken to a local mohalla clinic after their condition deteriorated a few days ago. They claimed that their condition worsened as they suffered bouts of loose motion and vomiting after treatment at the clinic," Tiwari said.

The AAP government was "hyper active" recently over the ration distribution issue, but the deaths of the children due to hunger shows it is "insensitive" towards the needs of the people.

"We met around 30 families in the neighbourhood where the deaths occurred. All of them complained that they were not issued ration cards despite making repeated efforts," he claimed.

Tiwari also attacked Sisodia, saying he should also be held responsible for the deaths as the incident occurred in his assembly constituency.

The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, also visited Mandwali.

He atacked the AAP government over its promise to open Aam Aadmi canteens to provide subsidised food to the poor in the city.

"Had the government implemented the scheme, many would have been saved from hunger," he said.