'Sad They Couldn't Feel Pain of Kota Mothers': Adityanath Targets Sonia, Priyanka Over Infant Deaths

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying it was extremely sad that despite being women both could not feel the pain of the mothers who lost their children at a hospital in Rajasthan's Kota.

Adityanath took to Twitter to express grief over infant deaths and attacked the Congress general secretary and president in a series of tweets on Thursday. "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on a civilised society, human values and feelings," tweeting from the handle of the Office of UP CM, he said.

"It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers," he added.

In another tweet, he said it would have been better had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in politics in UP.

At least 100 children died at the hospital in the month of December, an increase from the 77 that had died here in December 2018. In the last two days of 2019, nine infants had died – four on December 30 and five on December 31, all mainly due to low birth weight, hospital superintendent Dr Suresh Dulara said.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, facing criticism from the opposition, in a series of tweets on Thursday assured that his government is sensitive to the deaths of sick infants at the JK Lone Hospital, but insisted that there should be no politics on the issue.

“Infant mortality in this hospital of Kota is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. The health of mothers and children is our top priority,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

The Congress CM also said he welcomes a central government formed team of experts to come and help improve health services in the state. “We are ready for the improvement of medical services in the state with their consultation and cooperation,” he tweeted.

This came two days after a committee formed by the state government had cleared the hospital of any lapses in the death of children, saying that the right treatment was given.

The hospital administration had last week appointed a three-member committee, headed by Paediatrics Department’s chief Amrit Lal Bairwa, to investigate the deaths.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Monday, however, had found serious lapses at the hospital in Kota, saying its inspection had found broken windows and gates, pigs roaming inside campus and acute shortage of staff.