Rahul Gandhi visits Balaghat: ‘Total government failure… will raise issue in Parliament’

On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi journeyed to Jagla village in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district to meet families of tribal children who perished due to a recent outbreak of illness. "This is a total government failure in Madhya Pradesh. I will raise this issue in Parliament - not just this issue, but what is being done to tribals across the country," Gandhi declared, criticizing the Madhya Pradesh government for failing to deliver basic healthcare and essential services.

The BJP responded harshly, with Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla accusing Gandhi of exploiting the deaths for political gain and branding the visit as "political tourism". Shukla claimed the state government had taken swift action post-incident, citing the arrival of CM Mohan Yadav and the in-charge minister. The health department maintained eight children had succumbed to the illness, while local activists reported a potential death toll of up to 30.

The children, aged one to 13, exhibited symptoms like high fever, rashes, red spots, stomach pain, and ulcers. The cause of the outbreak remains unidentified, with blood samples still under testing at ICMR labs in Kolkata and Pune.