L-G again rejects proposal for O2 panel: Sisodia

Centre wants states to say there were no deaths due to oxygen shortage, says Delhi Dy CM

New Delhi, Aug. 20: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal has again rejected the Delhi government’s proposal to form a panel to “investigate the deaths due to oxygen shortage” in the national capital.

“No one can deny that Delhi grappled with an oxygen crisis in April and May during the second Covid wave and also no one can deny that people died in the national capital due to shortage of oxygen,” Mr Sisodia said during an online press conference.

“We had resubmitted a file for the constitution of a panel to probe the deaths due to oxygen shortage. The L-G (lieutenant-governor) is saying that there is no need for that,” he said.

The deputy chief minister said that on the one hand the Centre has been asking the states to declare how many people have died

We had resubmitted a file for the constitution of a panel to probe the deaths due to oxygen shortage. The L-G (lieutenantgovernor) is saying that there is no need for that

— Manish Sisodia, Delhi Dy CM

due to oxygen shortage and on the other “you have not been allowing us to investigate such deaths. Then how will the states say?” he asked.

“That means the Centre deliberately wants us to give in writing that no deaths took place due to

shortage of oxygen in the entire country. It will be a big lie. It will be a cruel joke with the families who have lost their loved ones,” Mr Sisodia said.

He claimed the Centre was responsible for oxygen mismanagement and said that whether it was deliberate or a mistake is a matter of investigation.