Gorakhpur hospital deaths: Rahul Gandhi meets grieving families, blames UP govt for negligence

Lucknow: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met a few of the families who lost their children in the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy to express sympathies and said it was a "government-made tragedy" since the deaths occurred due to lack of oxygen.

"I met the bereaved families. All of them told me that their children died due to lack of oxygen. It is very clear that it is a government-made tragedy," Gandhi said in a tweet.

More than 60 children had died at Baba Raghav Das Medical College last week, allegedly due to disruption in the supply of oxygen to the institution over unpaid dues to the supplier company. "It is absolutely clear that this (tragedy) is due to negligence. Instead of trying to cover up, Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) and the government should take action in the matter," the Congress leader said in another tweet.

Extending his condolences, he told the families that the Congress supported them in their hour of crisis.

"Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) talks about 'new India'. We do not want such new India. We need India where the poor can return to their home happily, after treatment of their children," Gandhi said.

"I had gone to this hospital earlier. Addressing reporters, I had requested Modi ji that this hospital needs money, but no action has been taken."

Accompanied by Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar, former Union minister RPN Singh and legislator Aradhana Mishra, Gandhi landed at the Gorakhpur airport and drove straight to the house of Brahmdev Yadav at Baghagada village and spoke to the family which lost seven-day-old twins.

File image of Rahul Gandhi. PTI

He was briefed on the tragedy and asked about the reason behind the deaths of over 60 children in five days between 7 and 12 August.

The Congress leaders assured Yadav they will try and get him a job.

Raj Babbar dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party's state government as a "total failure" and said it had lost the right to rule.

After this, Rahul Gandhi went to the house of Nitesh Shukla in Malanv village and was scheduled to visit Rama Shankar in Basauli Khurd village and Jitendra at Khatauna village.

Azad said Yogi Adityanath was a five-time MP from Gorakhpur but did nothing.

Rahul Gandhi did not speak to the media and said he would say whatever he has to later in the day when he wraps up the visit after visiting the BRD Medical College.