Gorakhpur hospital deaths: UP Congress accuses Adityanath of trying to influence probe

Congress workers demanded Adityanath’s resignation during a dharna against large number of infant deaths in the Gorakhpur hospital.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar charged chief minister Yogi Adityanath with trying to influence the ongoing probe into the death of 60 children in Gorakhpur’s BRD medical college.

A woman looks into the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur. (Reuters Photo)

“Even before the probe report is out, the Chief Minister’s statement that the deaths have been caused due to encephalitis indicate that he wants to influence the ongoing probe,” the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief said on Monday.

Led by Babbar, the Congress workers demanded Adityanath’s resignation during a dharna against large number of infant deaths in the Gorakhpur hospital.

The Congress leader said that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister expressing concern over the issue after 36 hours of the deaths of the children only proves his “insensitivity over the matter”.

“The entire responsibility of the infant deaths is on the state government and its leader. Action is being taken against the doctors and officials only to divert the attention,” he said.

The UPCC president said that soon after the deaths, the chief minister said that oxygen shortage was not the cause of the deaths...if that was so, then why raids are being carried out on the premises of the supplier”.