Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 3 : Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma on Saturday strongly criticised the Madhya Pradesh government over the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura area, alleging poison served in the name of drinking water and demanded compensation of Rs 1 to the affected families.
He further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government as deaf and dumb and hoped that the government should foremost safeguard people from dying.
"This is the settlement (Bhagirathpura) of people who made Indore. Today, this settlement is in such a deplorable state that those who created this Indore are struggling to get clean drinking water. Poison is being served in the name of drinking water. We want that this dead and dumb BJP government should protect the people as they are dying. We don't engage in empty rhetoric. They (the government) should actually give Rs 1 crore to each of the affected families," Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma said.
He added that it was the condition of only one settlement Bhagirathpura but in all the water tanks across Indore, 2 feet of silt and piles of dirt have accumulated.
"Indore received the cleanest city tag due to the hard work of sanitary workers but today, the city has turned into a hell like situation," Verma said.
When asked whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would visit to take stock of the situation in Indore, Congress leader Verma said that he would come but they were his representative and they knew Indore's identity.
"Rahul Gandhi will come. We are his representatives... We know Indore's identity... Our state president, Jitu Patwari, is in constant contact with party top leadership, and a program can be planned at any time. The entire Congress party is certainly sensitive to this issue..." he added.
He further stressed that the congress party would protest across the state over this incident on Sunday. They would go to the homes of every BJP leader in every district and ring bells throughout the state.
The water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura has sparked widespread criticism as it claimed several lives and many families were affected from it. Nonetheless, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 2 lakh financial assistance to the families of the deceased and free treatment to all the affected people.