Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday strongly criticised the Madhya Pradesh government over the Indore water contamination crisis, which has claimed at least 10 lives and affected more than 1,400 people.
The outbreak of acute diarrhoea, triggered by contaminated drinking water, has caused widespread concern in the city. Victims reported symptoms such as vomiting and severe dehydration, according to officials.
Reacting to the incident, Rahul Gandhi alleged that residents were supplied with contaminated water while authorities failed to act in time. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he accused the administration of negligence and insensitivity towards affected families.
“There was no water in Indore — poison was distributed instead. The administration remained asleep while homes were filled with grief. Instead of compassion, the people received arrogance,” Gandhi said.
Questions Raised on Administrative Accountability
The Rae Bareli MP questioned why repeated complaints about foul-smelling and dirty water were ignored by officials. He also sought clarity on how sewage allegedly mixed with the drinking water supply and why the supply was not immediately stopped.
Rahul Gandhi posed four direct questions to the authorities:
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Why was no action taken despite repeated public complaints?
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How did sewage enter the drinking water pipeline?
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Why was the water supply not shut down in time?
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When will action be taken against responsible officers and leaders?
He emphasised that these were not political questions, but a public demand for accountability.
Conflicting Death Figures and Official Response
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed that 10 deaths occurred due to the outbreak in the Bhagirathpura area. However, local residents claimed that 14 people, including a six-month-old infant, had died, according to a PTI report.
Meanwhile, Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisoniya stated that laboratory tests found bacterial contamination in 26 out of 50 water samples collected four days earlier. He added that corrective measures had since been taken and the situation was under control.
Criticism of BJP Leaders’ Conduct
Gandhi also criticised senior BJP leader and MP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for making dismissive remarks towards a journalist questioning the incident. Vijayvargiya later issued an apology after his comments sparked controversy.
“These are not ‘free’ questions. They are questions of accountability,” Gandhi said.
‘Epicentre of Misgovernance’ Claim
Highlighting a series of recent incidents, Gandhi described Madhya Pradesh as an “epicentre of misgovernance”. He cited previous cases involving deaths linked to contaminated cough syrup and reports of newborns dying after rat bites in a government hospital.
“When the poor suffer and die, the Prime Minister remains silent,” Gandhi added.
