Tragedies like Gorakhpur deaths not new, says Shah
NHRC issues notice to UP govt over hospital deaths
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the deaths of children at the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came out in support of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after the Congress demanded he resign. “It’s the job of the Congress to demand resignation,” BJP chief Amit Shah told reporters in response to a question about the main Opposition party’s demand for resignation. “Many such big tragedies have occurred in this big country. This has not happened for the first time. Such (tragedies) have happened under Congress governments, too.”
Nearly 60 children have died in the hospital in the past week because of snapping of oxygen supply.
Shah said unlike the Congress, the BJP “does not hold anybody guilty” without investigation. “Investigations are on. Yogiji has fixed a timebound investigation. Once the investigation report is submitted, the government will make it public,” he said. “This is an incident and a mistake, at whichever level it may be. All said and done, you cannot deny the party’s and BJP government’s intention for development of the poor. There is no link between the tragedy and the government’s intention.”
Asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not tweeted on the tragedy, Shah said the prime minister had already expressed grief over the incident in the media. “The prime minister has already expressed his grief, and tweet is not the only medium to convey a message. He has already made a statement in the press,” Shah said.
On a reported directive of Adityanath to ensure preparations are on for a “grand” Krishna Janmashtami celebrations when the state was mourning the deaths of infants, he said everybody was grieving over the deaths. “Everybody is sad that children have died. But Krishna Janmashtami has its own place, as is August 15. Yogiji has not said in this reference that you celebrate the festival even though children have died. Krishna Janmashtami is being observed. It It is not a government festival.”