Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited Jagla village in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district and met the families of tribal children who died following an outbreak of illness in the area earlier this year.

“This is a complete government failure in Madhya Pradesh. A total, 100 per cent government failure. I will raise this issue in Parliament — not just their issue, but what is being done to tribals across the country,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi accused the Madhya Pradesh government of failing to provide basic healthcare and other essential services to the tribal population.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

During his visit, Gandhi met the bereaved families and heard their concerns about healthcare, education, employment and tribal welfare. He accused the state government of failing to respond adequately to the situation.

He alleged that children had died because of illness and malnutrition and that basic government support had broken down in the area. “Many children here have died because of illness and malnutrition. Whatever support the government is supposed to provide — whether in healthcare, education or employment — has completely broken down,” he said.

“You talk about development 24 hours a day, and there is corruption 24 hours a day, but when our tribal brothers and sisters need you, you disappear,” Gandhi said.

BJP hits back

The BJP hit back at Gandhi over the visit. Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla accused him of using the deaths for political purposes and described the visit as “political tourism”.

Story continues below this ad

“In the greed to form the government, Rahul Gandhi is coming to Balaghat months after the incident and engaging in political tourism,” Shukla said.

Shukla said the state government had responded to the situation after the incident, with CM Mohan Yadav, himself, and the district’s in-charge minister visiting the area. He said four Block Women Development Officers had been posted and that 14 sub-health centres and community health centres were being established in the region.

The Madhya Pradesh health department has maintained that eight children had died and around 100 others had fallen ill in August in four remote, Baiga-dominated villages. Local activists and villagers, however, reported that the death count may be as high as 30.

The children, aged between one and 13, had reported symptoms including high fever, rashes, red spots, stomach pain and ulcers. The exact cause of the illness and deaths was not known at the time, with blood samples sent to ICMR laboratories in Kolkata and Pune for testing.