Jaipur, Oct 7 (NationPress) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday called for a judicial investigation into the devastating fire incident at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, which tragically took the lives of eight individuals and left numerous others injured.

Describing the incident as a consequence of systemic negligence, Gehlot expressed that such unfortunate events have become increasingly frequent in Rajasthan.

He referenced past tragedies, including the Jhalawar school roof collapse, which resulted in the deaths of seven children, and the recent fatalities connected to cough syrup consumption among minors.

“How often have we witnessed such negligence?” Gehlot questioned in a social media post.

“In Jhalawar, we mourned the loss of children – at times due to cough syrup, and other times due to systemic failures. This time, it was a fire,” he stated.

Characterizing the circumstances at SMS Hospital as unprecedented, he remarked, “Families were in despair, asking, 'Where are the remains of our loved ones?' The chaos that night was beyond anything I have ever witnessed.”

He further criticized the state government's handling of the situation, asserting that Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma should have visited the hospital that night to offer solace to the grieving families.

“If the Chief Minister had met them and shown compassion, it would have conveyed that the government cared. Yet, no one even reached out to them. Their frustration was entirely justified - and it only escalated,” he added.

Gehlot, who personally visited the site, described the aftermath as heartbreaking. “The hospital ward was utterly destroyed. Some claim the victims succumbed to suffocation, but the degree of negligence is indisputable.”

Rejecting the government's plan to create a temporary internal committee to investigate the matter, he underscored the necessity for a judicial inquiry.

“This committee will present a report in seven days, suspend a few officials, and dismiss the case. However, I have asserted from the beginning: only a judicial commission can delve into the underlying causes, propose enduring reforms, and ensure that such tragedies are never repeated – in any hospital or school in Rajasthan.”