‘Not water, poison was distributed’: Rahul Gandhi targets BJP govt over Indore deaths
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government over the contamination of drinking water in Indore, where at least ten people have died following a diarrhoea outbreak.
Rahul Gandhi said, "In Indore, there was no water, just poison being distributed, while the administration slumbered like Kumbhakarna." He alleged that the tragedy exposed administrative failure in a city that has repeatedly topped the Centre’s ‘cleanest city’ rankings.
"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," he said in a post on X.
His remarks came amid controversy over comments made by Madhya Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who had snapped at journalists when questioned about the deaths caused by contaminated water.
According to officials, the deaths were linked to a diarrhoea outbreak triggered by toxic substances in the drinking water supply. Laboratory tests conducted by a city-based medical college confirmed that sewage had leaked into the water pipeline near a newly constructed public toilet in the Bhagirathpura area.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey reportedly said, "We are closely examining the entire drinking water supply pipeline to find out if there is any leakage elsewhere." He said water supply had been restored but people had been urged to boil the water before drinking it.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Indore, met patients, and chaired a review meeting, promising that such a tragedy would not be repeated and that action would follow the investigation report.
So far, two Public Health Engineering Department officials have been suspended and one has been dismissed. A three-member committee has been constituted to probe the incident. The state government has announced compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives.
इंदौर में पानी नहीं, ज़हर बंटा और प्रशासन कुंभकर्णी नींद में रहा।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 2, 2026
घर-घर मातम है, गरीब बेबस हैं - और ऊपर से BJP नेताओं के अहंकारी बयान। जिनके घरों में चूल्हा बुझा है, उन्हें सांत्वना चाहिए थी; सरकार ने घमंड परोस दिया।
लोगों ने बार-बार गंदे, बदबूदार पानी की शिकायत की - फिर भी…
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200 parrots die of food poisoning in MP's Khargone district
Khargone (PTI): At least 200 parrots have died on the banks of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district due to food poisoning, officials said on Friday.
The carcasses were found in the last four days near an aqueduct bridge on the riverbank in the Badwah area, and a post-mortem report has ruled out bird flu as the cause, they said.
Some parrots were alive during rescue operations, but the toxicity of the food was so severe that they died shortly thereafter, District wildlife warden Tony Sharma said.
The deaths triggered panic in the area after a suspected bird flu scare, but veterinary examinations found no trace of the infection. Forest department officials have banned feeding near the aqueduct bridge and deployed staff at the site for strict enforcement.
Viscera samples from the birds were sent to Jabalpur for further examination, officials said.
According to officials from the veterinary department, food poisoning and improper diet have caused the deaths.
Teams from the veterinary and forest departments, as well as the wildlife wing, have been monitoring the area for the past four days after being alerted by residents.
Veterinarian Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the post-mortems, said symptoms of food poisoning were found in the parrots, with no indicators of bird flu.
People often unknowingly feed birds food that proves fatal to their digestive systems, she said.
Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said rice and small pebbles were found in the stomachs of dead birds.
Prima facie, the deaths seem to be linked to improper feeding, he said, citing pesticide exposure from feeding in sprayed fields and water from the Narmada River as contributing factors.
Visitors to the bridge feeding cooked or leftover food to birds may have proved fatal, officials said.
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