Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh tried to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government of the State over children’s deaths due to alleged malnutrition.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Arun Yadav was on a daylong 'Maun Satyagraha' along with party leaders and workers in the State Capital on Monday. Some malnourished children were also paraded before the media at the dharna venue.
The silent protest began in the morning at the PCC office in Bhopal and came to an end in the evening. Some tribal women from Sheopur along with their severely malnourished children were also brought to the dharna site. The party leaders later led the malnourished children to the Red Cross Hospital to get them admitted for better treatment where the doctors after examining them advised to get admitted but the parents of the children citing financial problem didn’t agreed for that.
Notably, the death of children especially the tribal kids in different parts of the State due to malnutrition is becoming a major issue in the State.
The Congress party has formed district-level teams to investigate the extent of malnutrition in the State. It has already sent fact-finding teams to various places including Sheopur, Khandwa, Rewa, Satna, Shivpuri that are among the worst affected districts in the State.
Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia had earlier visited Sheopur to assess the situation. He had seen the condition of malnourished children. The Opposition has alleged that while kids are suffering, the Madhya Pradesh government is indifferent to the plight of these children.
Ramesh, a tribal from Sheopur who came with his wife Parvati and their malnourished one year old daughter Rukhsana while talking to The Pioneer said that the kid was admitted in Sheopur district hospital for five days but neither any medicines were administered to her nor any food or milk was provided.
He said that there is anganbadi in the village but they do not get anything from there also for their children.