Key Points:
- Rahul Gandhi visited Bombay Hospital and Bhagirathpura in Indore on Saturday
- Met families of deceased victims Geeta Bai and Jeevan Mali, offered condolences
- Criticized smart city model, said government failing to provide clean water and control pollution
- Congress announced Rs 1 lakh financial aid for families of 24 victims who died from contaminated water
- Visited amid tight security, some senior leaders stopped outside hospital due to security reasons
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, arrived in Indore on Saturday to meet the people affected by the contaminated water incident in Bhagirathpura and the families of those who died. He first visited the patients admitted to Bombay Hospital, spending about 15 minutes there, and then went to the Bhagirathpura slum to speak with the affected families.
During his hospital visit, Rahul Gandhi inquired about the well-being of the admitted patients and spoke directly with them. He was accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Digvijay Singh, State Congress President Jitu Patwari, Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, and Kamal Nath. Due to security reasons, some senior leaders were stopped outside the hospital.
Speaking to the families of the victims of the contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, Rahul Gandhi delivered sharp criticism of the government’s smart city initiative. “I have just met the affected people… It was said that they would give the country smart cities. This is a new model of a smart city where there is no drinking water, and people are being intimidated… In Indore, people are not getting clean water, and people are dying from drinking contaminated water. This is the urban model. And this is not happening only in Indore. The situation is the same in many cities. It is the government’s responsibility to provide clean water and control pollution. The government is not fulfilling any of these responsibilities,” he stated.
After leaving the hospital, Rahul Gandhi reached the Bhagirathpura slum, where he met the families of those who lost their lives due to contaminated water. He first went to the house of the deceased Geeta Bai and offered his condolences to her family. After that, he went to the house of Jeevan Mali, who also died due to contaminated water. During this time, Rahul Gandhi seemed somewhat upset due to the jostling in the crowd.
Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to meet the family of 5-month-old Avyan and other affected families at Sanskar Garden. The Congress party has submitted a list of four houses to the administration for Rahul Gandhi to visit the affected families. The Congress party has announced that financial assistance of one lakh rupees will be provided to the families of all 24 people who lost their lives in the contaminated water incident.
