Bhopal/Indore, Jan 12 (NationPress) The President of Madhya Pradesh Congress, Jitu Patwari, expressed on Monday that 23 individuals lost their lives after consuming contaminated water in Indore's Bhagirathpura. He criticized the government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for failing to hold any senior officials or local leaders accountable for this tragedy.

Patwari urged that Mohan Yadav must act responsibly as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and take decisive measures against the officials and BJP leaders whose negligence led to the deaths and the illness of hundreds.

He further alleged that the actions taken so far were merely attempts to cover up the shocking incident in Bhagirathpura.

"It is appalling that 23 lives were lost due to contaminated water provided by the BJP-led Indore Municipal Corporation, and still, no accountability has been established. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav must demonstrate his authority and initiate an FIR against the Mayor of Indore," he stated during a press conference at the Congress office in Bhopal on Monday.

In a report submitted to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the state government only acknowledged four deaths as of January 2, with further updates regarding casualties expected in a report due on January 15.

Despite this, financial compensation has been provided to the families of 18 victims who succumbed to a diarrhoea outbreak attributed to contaminated drinking water supplied by the local civic body.

Recalling past tragedies, including the loss of 36 lives in a well in Indore in March 2023 and the cough syrup incident in Chhindwara that resulted in the deaths of 26 children last year, Patwari asserted that the BJP-led government has never held any senior officials or ministers accountable.

"Twenty-six children died due to the cough syrup tragedy, yet the State Health Minister (Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla) remains in the Cabinet. Similarly, after the incident in Khajrana, no senior official faced responsibility. Now, Bhagirathpura presents another instance of governmental inaction," he claimed.

In addition, Patwari criticized veteran BJP leader and the state’s Urban Affair Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, labeling him a 'dictator'.

"I recognize that Kailash Vijayvargiya is a dictator who disregards democracy. I urge him to resign from the Cabinet on moral grounds," Patwari remarked.

Bhagirathpura has been under scrutiny following a significant number of deaths linked to a vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak that commenced in late December, situated in the Indore-1 Assembly constituency represented by BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.