In a surprising political move in Madhya Pradesh, State Congress President Jitu Patwari visited veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sumitra Mahajan in Indore. Accompanied by Indore Congress District President Chintu Choukse, Patwari had a constructive discussion with Mahajan at her residence. Photos from the meeting, shared by the State Congress Media Cell, depicted a positive interaction among the trio.
Patwari later stated, “Today, I visited Sumitra Mahajan (Tai ji) and discussed contaminated water and some other important issues.” Notably, Sumitra Mahajan, fondly referred to as ‘Tai’ (elder sister) by people from various political backgrounds, expressed concerns about the contaminated water deaths incident in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area. Former Chief Minister Uma Bharti also criticized the state government regarding this tragedy.
Sumitra Mahajan described the incident as ‘a wake-up call’ for the ruling BJP, emphasizing the need for immediate action. She expressed deep sorrow over the incident, highlighting the BJP’s efforts in making Indore the cleanest city in India over the years. This meeting occurred a day before Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, was set to visit Bhagirathpura, where a significant number of people were affected by contaminated water, resulting in casualties.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee announced that Rahul Gandhi would visit Indore to meet the affected families and patients at Bombay Hospital. Subsequently, he would proceed to Bhagirathpura to extend his support to those impacted by the outbreak linked to water contamination. The State Congress unit reported at least 24 deaths due to contaminated water in Bhagirathpura. However, a recent status report submitted by the Madhya Pradesh government clarified that compensation had been provided to the families of 21 deceased individuals in the area, with some deaths not conclusively linked to water contamination.
