Cough syrup deaths: Tamil Nadu govt not cooperating, it needs to take 'concrete steps', says MP CM Mohan Yadav

Nagpur/Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday alleged that the Tamil Nadu government was not cooperating in connection with the probe linked to the death of 22 children from his state due to consumption of a cough syrup manufactured in the southern state.

He said his government will not spare anyone playing with the lives of children, and urged the Tamil Nadu government to take "concrete steps" and "proper action" in the episode.

Yadav visited the hospitals in Nagpur on Thursday to inquire about the health of children undergoing treatment there following consumption of Coldrif cough syrup manufactured in Tamil Nadu.

Twenty-two children, mostly from Chhindwara in MP, have died so far due to suspected kidney failure after consuming the cough syrup.

The Madhya Pradesh police arrested Ranganathan, the owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma, in the wee hours of Thursday and also seized some documents from his Kancheepuram factory.

Talking to reporters after his visit to the AIIMS and the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Nagpur, CM Yadav said, "The Madhya Pradesh police have arrested people from Tamil Nadu. However, the Tamil Nadu government is not cooperating the way it should. A proper report of the medicine concerned from the drug controller over there is expected." The pharma company was responsible for the end-to-end process of the medicine, he said.

"The Madhya Pradesh government suspended the drug controller and assistant drug controller for negligence in (testing) random samples (of the medicine). We immediately formed an SIT and the police arrested the owner of the pharma company in Tamil Nadu. But the government where these medicines are manufactured should take concrete steps and proper action," Yadav added.

It appears that the medicine given (to children) during the treatment is responsible, which is a manufacturing mistake, the CM said.

When asked about the Congress' criticism in the matter, Yadav said, "If Rahul Gandhi wants, he should go to Tamil Nadu and see for himself and protest against the government there." "Our government will not spare anyone who is responsible (for the deaths) and strict action will be taken against the culprits," he said.

Talking to reporters in Bhopal before leaving for Nagpur, where some children from MP are undergoing treatment, CM Yadav said, "Our government stands with every affected family. The safety of innocent children is our top priority. This tragic incident involving innocent children in Chhindwara has deeply saddened us." "As soon as this matter came to light, we ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Madhya Pradesh police's SIT today arrested Ranganathan, the owner of the pharmaceutical company that manufactured the toxic drug, from Chennai," he said.

"The state government will not spare anyone who plays with the lives of children. This action is a testament to our government's sensitivity, promptness and commitment to public welfare," he added.

The Tamil Nadu government had sealed the factory after children from Madhya Pradesh died following consumption of the "contaminated" cough syrup allegedly made in the unit. The government banned the Coldrif cough syrup in the state from October 1 and ordered the removal of stocks of the medicine from the market.