Madhya Pradesh adds 1,481 'backlog' Covid deaths

Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday added 1,481 'backlog Covid-19 deaths', taking the states' death toll to 10,506.

The addition to the cumulative deaths came after the state government reportedly issued a letter to all district authorities urging them to report any deaths till June 30 which were not added so far on the government's panel.

India on Tuesday logged 31,443 new Covid-19 cases and 2,020 new deaths after Madhya Pradesh reconciled its data.

While the BJP-led MP government said the fresh release showed it was functioning in a "transparent" manner, the opposition Congress said this has vindicated its claim about the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government "hiding" the Covid-19 death figures.

Congress also demanded the resignation of state Home Minister Narottam Mishra.

State Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang on Tuesday told reporters, “When the pandemic was at its peak, the fatalities occurred in private hospitals and the numbers of those who died in places other than their native districts were not reported. Besides, the deaths in home isolation were not reported. So, the data has been reconciled with these 1,478 deaths."

However, state Congress media cell vice president Bhupendra Gupta said the release of fresh coronavirus death figures has proved his party's allegation of the state government "hiding" the data.

“MP Congress chief Kamal Nath had alleged that the state government was hiding the death figures of coronavirus victims. These death figures are more than the fatalities declared during the second wave of the pandemic in March, April and May,” he said.

Gupta sought the resignation of state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, claiming the BJP leader had said he would step down if the allegations of Congress were found correct. On the other hand, Sarang refuted all the allegations, saying Congress was sensing something "fishy in everything" because it believed in hiding the facts.

"Our government's functioning is transparent," the BJP leader asserted.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government has been under fire over the handling of the pandemic after reports of underreporting Covid-19 deaths came to the fore.

The spike in registered deaths from all causes in May alone in the state was five times pre-pandemic levels and 67 times the official death toll from the virus for the month.

Questions have been raised over the state government’s inept handling of the pandemic, as several news reports indicated a much higher toll than the official figures.

Jolt to Chouhan's government

There is a wave of widespread anger among the people against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s "mismanagement" of the crisis, particularly after the second wave devastated Madhya Pradesh.

The anger reflected in the Damoh Assembly seat where the Congress trounced the ruling party by over 17,000 votes in the BJP’s strong bastion in the April 17 by-election.

After the by-poll jolt, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accelerated efforts to improve health infrastructure.

Chouhan has been assuring people in his messages daily broadcast that no efforts will be spared to ensure treatment and vaccination for all.

(With DHNS/PTI inputs)