Congress, JD(S) demand Sudhakar’s resignation over Oppn demand Sudhakar’s resignation over Tumakuru incident

The Opposition Congress and JD(S) have demanded Health Minister K Sudhakar’s resignation over the death of a pregnant woman after she was allegedly refused treatment for not having an Aadhaar and maternity cards at the Tumakuru district hospital.

“Sudhakar, who is responsible for the negligence of doctors that led to the death of a pregnant woman and two newborns, must immediately resign. The accused doctors should be dismissed and the entire incident should be brought under a judicial probe,” Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said in a series of tweets.

“During Covid, the irresponsibility of the health department led to the loss of hundreds of innocent lives. If the same Sudhakar continues as health minister, it is possible that serial medical deaths would continue,” the Congress leader said.

Accusing the BJP government of corruption, Siddaramaiah said no officer takes any minister seriously. “The corrupt BJP ministers have no morality in questioning or punishing erring officers,” the former chief minister said. “People are dying due to potholes. People are dying when they go to hospitals for treatment. Contractors are killing themselves for not being able to pay 40 per cent commission. The BJP government is one that kills, not saves,” he said.

Read | Tumakuru hospital 'turns away' woman pregnant with twins; all 3 die

Slamming the BJP government, JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy said the Tumakuru incident had shaken Karnataka’s conscience. “After the BJP came to power, only elections, change of CMs and loud publicity have made news. Development has taken a backseat,” Kumaraswamy, also a former chief minister, said.

Holding the government directly responsible for the deaths, Kumaraswamy said Sudhakar must resign taking moral responsibility. “If not, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai must sack him from the Cabinet,” Kumaraswamy said, calling it “murder by the government”.

The Tumakuru is proof of “how worse the health department has become”, Kumaraswamy said.

Sudhakar dares Siddu

Sudhakar said he would step down if Siddaramaiah resigned as leader of the opposition. He said he could show records on the number of infant deaths that happened in Mysuru when the Congress leader was the CM.

“Siddaramaiah neither resigned nor sought his health minister's resignation. If he can stoop so low to politicise a death, he is not just unfit to become a leader, but also unfit to be called even a human being,” Sudhakar said.