BJP national president Amit Shah outright rejected the Congress’s demand for the resignation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth over the deaths of over 70 children at a hospital in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Addressing a Press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, last day of his three-day visit to Karnataka, he said, “This is not the first time such a tragedy has happened in our country. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already ordered a high-level probe into the incident. This is a time-bound investigation into the tragedy. We won’t spare anyone found guilty.”
He took pot shots at the Congress which has been demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister for the lapses, which led to the tragedy. He said, “It’s Congress’s job to ask for resignation. In a big country like India, there have been many such incidents in the past. This is not the first time. Our intention to serve the poor must not be doubted based on just this one incident.”
Over 70 children, who were infected with Japanese encephalitis, died at BRD Medical College and Hospital in five days due to alleged shortage of oxygen supply.
Amit Shah came down heavily on the ruling Congress Government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Karnataka for being corrupt and misleading the people on Central Government funds. “I have never seen a more corrupt Government than Siddaramaiah’s. No resignation sought, no action is taken what so ever. Most parties are humiliated when allegations of corruption are made but the Siddaramaiah Government seems to treat it like a medal of hounour and pin it to their chest,” he said referring to raids on DK Shivakumar a Minister in Siddaramaiah’s Government.
He also said “BJP has always and will always act upon any corrupt practices. We have suspended those who have involved and ordered probe.” Referring to Kerala he said RSS workers have been made target of the political killings.
Amit Shah accused the ruling Congress Government in Karnataka of targeting and killing RSS and BJP workers.
He said “in the last four years some 30 workers of RSS have been killed and attacked. What kind of appeasement politics is thisIJ Will the State Government answer why it let off jailed PFI activists and revoked all cases against them”IJ
He also accused the Congress government of creating the fake narrative of the central government and said none of the benefits of the central government is reaching the people.
Meanwhile Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah reacted sharply to the criticism of Amit Shah who called his government most corrupt. He said “ Amit Shah has no moral right to call my government corrupt. He has been saying this repeatedly. No congress men has gone to jail on graft charges.” “ He does not have morality at all as corrupt are sitting next to him when he is saying things against us,” he added.
“Ours has been a corruption free scam free Government in the last four years. None of us had gone to jail as happened in the previous BJP Government,” Siddaramaiah taunted the BJP chief.
Amit Shah was in Bengaluru on a three day galvanizing visit to work out a strategy for the party in the ensuing elections.