Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 2 : A group of Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress workers on Friday held a protest against state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya over his remark related to the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore, and demanded his resignation.
The protesters said that the minister used inappropriate and insensitive language while responding to questions from journalists on public health issues after several people died in Indore, and demanded his resignation.
The youth congress workers carried bells and bottles of dirty water to mark their symbolic demonstration at Congress headquarters in the state capital, Bhopal. The protestors headed to the Minister's residence here, but the police stopped them in the middle.
"We are holding a symbolic protest by carrying dirty water that the people are being forced to drink, while BJP leaders and ministers are drinking RO water. We demand from the Chief Minister that such a minister, who is using words like 'ghanta,' while responding to a question from a journalist, should resign. There is an atmosphere of sorrow in Indore, but the minister is laughing while addressing a press conference. The minister should step down on moral grounds, and justice should be delivered to the people of the state," said Abhishek Parmar, vice president, MP Youth Congress.
On December 31 night, Minister Vijayvargiya lost his temper and allegedly used inappropriate and insensitive language while responding to a question from a journalist and later apologised for his remark.
"I and my team have been continuously working in the affected area for the past two days without sleep to improve the situation. My people have suffered due to contaminated water, and some have lost their lives. In this deep state of grief, my words came out wrongly while responding to a question from the media. I express my regret for this," Vijayvargiya wrote in a post on X within a few hours of the incident.
https://x.com/KailashOnline/status/2006426641413902681
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday also hit out at the minister for his "arrogant" statement.
"In Indore, there was no water--just poison being distributed, while the administration slumbered like Kumbhakarna. 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," Rahul Gandhi posted on X.