Administration slept like 'Kumbhakarna': Rahul Gandhi slams MP govt over Indore water contamination deaths

The Leader of Opposition said there was "no water in Indore, -- but just poison being distributed."

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday described BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh as the "epicentre of misgovernance" after around a dozen people died due to consumption of contaminated water while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining silent whenever poor die.

Rahul said there was "no water -- just poison being distributed" while the Indore administration "slumbered like Kumbhakarna".

"Every home is filled with mourning, the poor are helpless - and on top of that, BJP leaders are making arrogant statements. Those who lost their lives and livelihoods needed solace; the government offered arrogance," he posted on 'X'.

He said people repeatedly complained about the "dirty, foul-smelling water" but there was no response from the authorities.

"Mourning has spread from home to home, the poor are helpless—and to top it off, arrogant statements from BJP leaders. Those whose hearths have gone cold needed solace; the government served up hubris instead. How did sewage mix into the drinking water? Why wasn't the supply shut off in time? When will action be taken against the responsible officers and leaders?" he said.

Rahul said these "are not freebie" questions" but demands for accountability.

"Clean water isn't a favor; it's a right to life. And for the murder of this right, the BJP's double-engine government, its negligent administration, and its callous leadership are entirely responsible. Madhya Pradesh has now become the epicentre of misgovernance -- deaths from cough syrup in one place, rats in government hospitals claiming children's lives in another, and now deaths from drinking sewage-mixed water," he said.

"And every time the poor die, Modi-ji, as always, remains silent," he added.