Madhya Pradesh: Congress Critiques CM Yadav Following Chhindwara Tragedy
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Chhindwara, March 28 (NationPress) The Congress party in Madhya Pradesh has levied strong criticism against Chief Minister Mohan Yadav regarding the devastating road accident that resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals and left over 30 injured in Chhindwara district.
During a visit to Chhindwara on Saturday, State Congress president Jitu Patwari met with the bereaved families and directed his ire towards Yadav, alleging that local villagers were coerced to attend the Chief Minister's rally.
Patwari also visited the injured at the Chhindwara district hospital, asserting that individuals were forced to participate in the Chief Minister's event through threats and intimidation.
“Particularly vulnerable women were transported to the gathering under the combined pressure of threats and the lure of receiving Rs 1,500 - a situation that tragically culminated in this horrific incident where more than 10 lives were lost, and many others were hurt,” Patwari stated during a press briefing.
He also alleged that significant pressure was placed on Anganwadi workers to ensure a certain number of women attended the event, with the explicit warning that failure to comply could lead to job termination.
“In a similar vein, a school assistant received a severe warning to ensure her presence at the rally. These events raise a critical question: 'Is it ethical to exert such pressure for government gatherings?'” he asked.
Patwari expressed that the incident underscores negligence, mismanagement, and a clear failure of responsibility on the part of government officials.
While addressing the media, he also recalled the Coldrif cough syrup incident that claimed the lives of nearly 26 children in Chhindwara last October-November.
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress party announced a financial aid package of Rs 50,000 for the families of the deceased and advocated for a standardized compensation policy for accident victims.
“The Congress Party will provide Rs 50,000 to each family affected by this tragedy,” said Umang Sighar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, during a news conference in Bhopal.
In a related development, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited the impacted families and assured them of government support during this challenging time.
After his visit, the Chief Minister announced an increase of the ex gratia amount from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for the families of each individual who lost their life in this unfortunate accident.